


The Kiss Thief

by mikunicchi



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: AU, Action & Romance, Community: ninoexchange, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-02 01:45:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15786420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikunicchi/pseuds/mikunicchi
Summary: Ninomiya Kazunari was a thief with a policy. He wouldn't steal from old people, he wouldn't rob on weekends and he wouldn't steal anything that he didn't need. However, one careless mistake would turn his life upside down.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [duckyshimetai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/duckyshimetai/gifts).



> Warnings: swearing, theft, mild injuries

_Shit shit shit!_ Nino thought while running like crazy. His lungs were on fire as well as his legs, but there was simply no way he could stop. 

Could his day turn out worse? Most likely impossible, since it was already the worst. Because he was such a stupid man. Realizing that you tried to rob a yakuza office after they started to chase you was simply and truly the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life. So, of course, there was no way he could stop running. Not when a bunch of scary looking yakuza were running after him. However, he also knew that his legs won't hold out for long. He was already out of breath and simply, everything seemed to get worse and worse. 

He needed to think. And he should also be quick about it. Instinctively Nino clutched the bag he took with him. He really didn’t have much idea what was inside the bag but he knew there was money in it. He should have double checked the office but no! Because he had to be that arrogant about it. Nino groaned internally. Still… Why the hell did he even try to rob a yakuza office?! Oh, of course! It was all about money, he reminded himself one more time. A good reason in his opinion, but not this time. He was usually a careful and skilled thief. Stealing things was wrong and he knew that, but he had given up caring about it long ago. To Nino, theft turned out a simple subsistence. And a good one, since he never had problems about where to find money. There was a bunch of people who earned money way more illegally than Nino did. So he really didn't think it was wrong of him to steal. He usually went in, stole what he wanted and sneaked out before anything could happen. His profession was a simple one with easy money. Well, probably saying “it was” would be more accurate in his current situation. He should be running instead of thinking. Good thing that Nino was one of the fastest thieves in Japan. He was actually quite famous for his skills, though of course it wasn't like he liked to brag about it (well, he actually _did_ brag about it, but that wasn't the case now). Or what was more likely was that he was famous because of his policy. Nino believed even being a thief required its own policy. So when he started theft, he decided a few things and named them as his policy: He wouldn’t rob elderly people, he wouldn’t rob on weekends, and of course, he wouldn’t steal anything he didn’t need. He was fast and skilled but lacked enthusiasm. Yes, he was that famous Lazy Thief Nino. 

_At least,_ he thought, _no one can accuse me of being lazy after running this much._

He could hear the shouts of the yakuza behind him. “Damn, you are too persistent!” Nino managed to curse under his breath as he turned a corner and threw himself into the crowded street. People were eyeing him shortly before they turned their eyes to the other madmen who were chasing Nino. “Won’t you give up!?” Nino whined. He had no idea what to do and he was honestly tired. He had limited stamina after all! And it wasn’t like he could use some stamina potions like in games. That’s why he usually preferred to live in energy saving mode. 

He turned another corner to see a lot of food stalls lined up along the whole street. Hell yeah, Nino thought as if he had won the lottery, and he quickly threw himself into one ramen stall, surprising the quiet salarymen and the chef. He quickly sat in one of the chairs and tried to catch his breath and look like one of them. Of course, his black t-shirt which was currently drenched in sweat and his old worn out black jeans didn’t help the situation. He greeted the confused chef sheepishly and took the beer of the guy who was sitting next to him. He took a generous sip from the cold beer, gulping down everything in one go and finally gathered his courage to take a peek. Yakuza were at the entrance of the street and Nino quickly turned back. “Shit,” he murmured. 

“Search the stalls!” he heard one of the yakuza saying irritatedly. “Find him no matter what!” 

“Shit!” he hissed under his breath. They will beat the shit out of me! He thought. Just then he caught the first glimpse of one yakuza who was wearing a rather colorful satin shirt -satin shirt? Really?- approaching to the stall where he was sitting. There was absolutely no way he could run. They would definitely catch him the moment he stood up, so he did the first thing that came to his mind. 

He pulled the silent guy who was sitting next to him forward and started to kiss him in order to hide his face. At first, Nino could feel the guy's surprise because of the sudden action, and then he felt him try to push him away, struggling. As expected. Anyone would try to push if someone suddenly attacked them with a kiss. Nino broke the kiss only to whisper: “Please, just let me kiss you,” and slammed their lips once again. He hugged the other, pulling him closer to hide his body and face behind him, and he didn’t neglect to look around out of the corner of his eyes. 

“Eww…” he heard some people saying. “Go find a room!” some others exclaimed. But Nino didn’t care anything about it. It was expected.

However, what Nino wasn’t expecting was actually enjoying to kissing that unknown guy. Suddenly kissing the unknown guy felt horribly good and as much as he hated to admit it, he started kissing him seriously. Unknown lips felt soft against his own somewhat dried ones, and Nino couldn't help moving his tongue over those soft and well-shaped lips, asking permission for entrance when he hadn't really asked for permission to kiss him in the first place. Though, that and this were different. The permission came within seconds, most probably instinctively and Nino smirked internally. He knew that it wasn’t normal to give permission to someone who forced a kiss on you, but this was Nino and he had quite a bit of experience with kissing. It was one of his abilities besides being able to go into every secured place without being noticed or picking locks, and he was actually proud of that. At least he wasn’t a complete failure as a human. 

Nino moved his mouth skillfully as he wanted to urge the silent guy off, although he wasn't as silent now as he was before. Nino could hear the almost inaudible moan escaping from the silent guy, and for a moment it strangely felt good to hear that voice. He stroked behind the silent guy’s teeth softly with his tongue only to earn more sounds from the guy. He might have started to kiss him as a way to hide from yakuza, but now, he was absolutely enjoying the kiss and had almost forgotten about the yakuzas that were chasing him. 

However the key word was almost, and as much as Nino wanted that kiss to be longer, he had to check around and secure his escape route. Nino checked the satin shirt guy out of the corner of his eye while still kissing the silent guy. Oh, how much he wanted to return that kiss fully. The silent guy was clinging to his shirt while Nino's hands were lost in his hair. 

The satin shirt guy eyed them in disgust and passed them without bothering too much. Nino maneuvered the silent guy’s body to follow the yakuza with his eyes and continued to kiss him until they were away.

When Nino finally broke the kiss both of them were out of breath, but finally Nino had a chance to look at who he had been kissing the entire time. 

The silent guy seemed flushed. That was the first thought that came to Nino's mind. He had puffy cheeks and small eyes which looked astonished. His eyes were clouded with desire, almost as if they were asking Nino to keep kissing him, but he didn't have time for it. He let the silent guy's body go and smiled at him sweetly. “Thank you,” he said before leaving the food stall and running in order to make yakuza lose him. 

If he hadn't been too distracted by the perfect kiss with the unknown guy, he would have noticed that he’d already messed everything up. But he was already too occupied with the silent guy in his mind, so he only ran with a smile adorning his lips. 

 

***

 

The hot summer night had started very monotonously for Ohno Satoshi. When he had decided to finally leave work that night, he was exhausted. He left the building of his own company bent forward as if he was carrying the world's weight on his shoulders and threw himself into the first food stall -it was a ramen stall he realized- that he saw. He ordered a cold beer for himself, not really expecting someone to steal it as soon as it was served. 

Also, he really wasn’t expecting that beer thief to steal a kiss from him. And oh, God! What a kiss! Ohno didn’t really remember when he last kissed someone. After all, all he did was work, work and work late. He didn’t have time for a relationship. Well, he had his own share of romance with several men and women when he was younger, and some of them were really skilled at kissing (and other things of course) but none of them compared to this. 

The man who had kissed him was so soft. That was the first thing Ohno discovered when their skin touched. His dry lips added a roughness to their kiss, but the way the other’s body crawled closer to his body was very soft. The kiss wasn’t forceful, even if it started like that. Ohno gave permission to him almost immediately, to his own surprise. Did he really want to be kissed by someone that badly? However, no matter what, he couldn’t bring himself to hate it. It was almost too good to be true. 

When the other’s tongue brushed the back of his teeth, Ohno couldn’t help but moan. It was like he had been set on fire. He felt his own desire building up when the other broke the kiss. Suddenly, Ohno realized that he had almost moved into the other’s lap, and he couldn’t help but blush. When he finally got the chance to look at his kisser’s face he was slightly stunned. He really wasn’t expecting to see a handsome but still cute man with curled lips looking at him. Ohno had to admit that he was cute… But his cuteness was very misleading, Ohno decided. He was sure that adorable face had a very strong personality behind it. He could easily detect it from the stranger’s hands, which were placed on his waist and currently holding him steadily. For a moment, Ohno felt like he was drowning into those brown eyes, but the stranger broke contact, and he left him there with a “Thank you”. Ohno realized he wanted to hear his voice more, watching the stranger run out of the street. 

He sighed when the stranger was finally out of his sight. He got up, paid for his half beer and the ramen that he hadn’t touched. He left the stall feeling all eyes on him and he started walking away lazily. 

He turned a corner which led him to his usual bus stop. Yes, he was using the bus to get home despite being a CEO, because, well, he didn’t have a driver’s license and he hated to keep his chauffeur since his first daughter had just been born. And he really didn’t see a problem with using the bus anyway. He was a normal human being, after all. When the bus stop finally came into sight, he sighed once again. I will probably never see him again, he thought just before taking a blow to the back of his neck, feeling himself lose consciousness. The last thing that crosses his mind was the warm brown eyes of the stranger and how sweet his kiss was. 

 

***

 

Nino let out a groan when he finally got into the old building he called home, just as his body ran out of adrenaline. He immediately lay down on the dirty ground not caring about anything. His chest was heaving up and down, and every breath he took burned his lungs. He closed his eyes for a moment to think about that night. 

That night's keyword was: _almost_. Definitely. He almost went into the office and escaped with the money, almost made the yakuza lose track of him, almost had the most perfect kiss in his life. However, he reminded himself, that night's keyword was almost, and Nino failed at almost everything that he had done that night. For the time being, he should at least be happy about the kiss -which was slightly above the other things- and the small bag of money and some other things which he took with him hastily from the safe without enough time to figure out what they were.

It had been the run of his life. Honestly. And he would never ever do it again, he swore to himself while getting up to open the bag. As expected, it contained a bunch of cash and some papers which he didn’t intend to look at. Who would create even more risk by looking at yakuza documents? Not Nino, at least. He was about to take the cash and throw the bag away when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. _His phone is vibrating..?_ What? Nino quickly fished the old phone out of his pocket. He stole the phone almost five years ago from a secondhand shop, so it was definitely older than he originally thought. Why would a thief steal a cell phone for himself? The answer was very simple for Nino: for emergencies. He didn’t have friends or family to contact, but he still kept one with him, if by any chance something happened to him, to contact some friends whom he actually didn’t really trust. But having them was still better than being all alone in a pinch. 

But now, having that phone ringing was something very _very_ strange, he thought, not picking it up, but soon he was overwhelmed by the curiosity and answered the call. 

Before he could say anything a cold voice reached his ear. “Aren’t you very brave?” Nino flinched at those words. 

“Who are you?” he asked cautiously. 

He heard a laugh from the other side. “Surprised to hear from us, you little rat? Didn’t your mother teach you not to mess with such esteemed businessmen? Finding you was very easy, thanks to that cute face of yours,” the man continued with a more serious tone. “If you value your friend’s life, come to the old paper factory in Yashio with _everything_ you stole from us,” and before Nino could utter a word, the line was cut off.

He looked at the screen for a whole minute, trying to figure out what to do, and wondering about this ‘friend’ whom he had no idea about. He was confused, as well as scared, but he was a thief with policy, and of course his policy didn’t let him lie back and let those yakuza do whatever they wanted to that so-called friend. Of course! Nino was just a thief. Not a murderer. Even if he wasn’t involved in the actual murder, he would still feel guilty. Knowing that he could have saved an innocent person would be enough to drown him in despair for the rest of his life. 

Yes, he should at least save him. That moment he added one more rule to his policy. 

1 - Don’t steal from old people.  
2 - Don’t steal things you don’t need.  
3 - Don’t work on weekends.  
4 - Don’t let anyone die in your place (even if you have no idea who is it).

 

***

 

When Ohno opened his eyes again he grimaced because of the pain in the back of his neck. He wasn’t really sure what had happened, but when he tried to move his limbs, he realized that he was tied down to a chair. 

“Oh! You are finally awake!” He looked towards the source of the voice to see a bunch of scary looking men. Tattoos, his brain registered. They are yakuza. “Ain’t you a small brave rat?!” The man who seemed to be higher-ranked than the others closed in on him, holding his slightly long hair firmly and pulling it back in order to look at Ohno’s face. “To think that you and your stupid friend could get away with robbing the first office of the Oida Household… You are way too brave for your own good.”

Ohno was confused. Robbing? Friend? What was going around here? “What friend?” he asked, hoping that they would understand that whoever they were talking about, Ohno certainly didn’t know them. “I am sorry, but you must have gotten the wrong-” 

“Don’t you dare play dumb! We saw you!!” the man growled. 

Ohno blinked in surprise. He was too taken aback by everything around him. “I am certain that you are mistaking me for someone else-”

“Sure, kissing in order to avoid us was a good plan. Too bad that you got noticed,” another man said, cutting him off. 

_Kiss?_ Could it be? 

“Say, were you waiting for him there? What a good plan! That rat sure thinks that he is smart,” the man continued angrily. Ohno groaned. Apparently, today was not his lucky day; wrong place, wrong time. He wanted to punch his self from some hours ago, who enjoyed that kiss. 

“But I really don’t know who it is!” Ohno continued to explain. “Actually, I am the victim here!” There was no way he was going to give up before even fighting. 

“You totally got the wrong person there!” A sudden loud voice made the room go silent. Ohno blinked in surprise as he recognized the voice. It was the same voice who thanked him a few hours ago… Ohno’s eyes grew wide with the sudden realization. Did he come for him? 

“You son of a-!” Soon all the yakuza were turned to the man, who looked awfully small in front of those overly muscular men.

“What? This son of a bitch almost ditched you. And what kind of idiots are you? This is not even my friend.” The man clicked his tongue, and Ohno’s jaw dropped. Was he really aware that he was talking to yakuza?! “Too bad you’re simply too stupid to understand that.” 

“What?!” the yakuza growled. 

The guy smirked. “Did I step on your tail?” 

Apparently, the guy was asking for his death sentence, and soon the scene turned out as Ohno expected. A bunch of angry and very muscular men attacked the smaller one, beating the shit out of him. Literally. A very strong punch landed on the smaller man’s stomach and even Ohno felt the pain in his own. 

Ohno had loved Bruce Lee movies and he liked to watch those kinds of action movies when he was younger. Well, he still liked Bruce Lee movies but that was not important right now. Basically, he was a typical boy who watched those movies excitedly. However, this was the first time he had seen a serious fight -a very serious one if he needed to be more specific- and honestly, even the most realistic action movie seemed kind of fake now. He really didn’t know how long he watched the men beat up the smaller man, but he had an idea how painful it must be. He wanted to help the other one, not knowing what to do or how to do it. He bit his lower lip as he started to struggle with the ropes around his wrist and his chest. He tried to ignore the fact that he would be as useless as the other man if he managed to untie the ropes and go to help him in the fight. 

And what the hell was he even thinking by provoking the yakuza like that? Wouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t he be begging them to forgive him and such? It’s either the other man was crazy or he simply wanted to die. Ohno could still hear the pained cries of the other man who was getting beaten up, and he really, really hated to hear them. He needed to do something, but what? His ties were stronger than he had thought and he could feel the pain in his wrists, though he was sure that the other man was in more pain. 

Suddenly Ohno heard police sirens. He blinked a few times before he could understand what that meant. He looked around him, already seeing the reflections of the police lights. He wanted to scream his gratefulness to God or whoever had called the police. 

“Shit! Who called the police!?” a yakuza asked, panic obvious in his voice. 

“Do you think it was him?!” Another one pointed to the small man, who was lying on the ground. His left arm was turned in a weird angle and Ohno somehow knew that it must be broken even from that distance. The man seemed smaller than before and Ohno felt his heart ache at the sight, which was horribly wrong. He should be angry, not sorry for him. He was there because of that man when he had nothing with the whole situation. He was a pure victim. _But he came for me,_ he thought, already forgiving the other before he could even understand himself.

“Let’s run away,” another yakuza interrupted him. “The police will catch him. He is a thief, so there’s no way he can run.” Somehow, they seemed to forget Ohno’s presence, which he was grateful for, and he had no intention to remind them himself. Occasionally, he was glad for his ability to be invisible. 

Others nodded. He must be a bit higher than the others, Ohno concluded. With one last kick to the smaller man’s stomach, they hurried outside. 

Ohno exhaled a relieved breath, only to realize that it wasn’t over. He was still tied to a chair and the other man was lying almost lifeless on the ground. But soon he saw the other moving with difficulty. He coughed, groaned and spat the blood in his mouth onto the floor. He started to drag his body closer to Ohno with difficulty. It was obvious that the other man was in pain. He shuffled around his pocket and took out a pocketknife to cut through Ohno’s ropes. 

“Sorry,” he murmured, his voice cracking a bit. “I didn’t mean to drag you into this,” he continued as he tried his best to be quick and cut the ropes. 

As soon as the ropes came loose, the man fell onto his side as if he had used the last bit of his strength, his eyes drooping. “Run,” the other ordered before he closed his eyes completely. 

Ohno quickly untied the remaining ropes around his legs and he stood up, only to stand there like a lost kid for a few seconds. He knew he should run. He had nothing to do with any of this. He should run and pretend that nothing had happened. He should just forget about today. But Ohno hesitated. He hesitated to leave that man behind, who stole his kiss on that very night. He took a deep breath and knelt next to the man, placing his probably healthy arm around his neck, and he secured his body by holding him firmly around his waist. The other opened his eyes and looked deeply into Ohno’s eyes, questioning his intentions. 

Ohno tried to smile, probably failing a bit. He didn’t know what to do with him, and well, there was also the fact that the other man was obviously a thief. Ohno really had no idea what the police would do if they caught him helping a thief, but he refused to leave him behind. So he tried his best to hurry outside. 

When he reached somewhere considerably safe, Ohno tried to shake the other man awake, wanting to ask where they were, but apparently the other lost his consciousness a little while ago. 

Ohno took out his phone from his jacket, carefully. He bit his lower lip. Who should he call? His secretary? No, MatsuJun would definitely be too furious about helping a thief. So he decided to call his best friend: Aiba Masaki, who would react a bit more positively to his situation than others might. He was also sure that Aiba would pick up his phone. He always picked up his phone, no matter whenever, wherever or whatever. Sometimes they mocked him about it, but today, he was glad for that habit of his. And well, he knew that Aiba would never abandon someone who was injured, Ohno thought guiltily. He wouldn’t lose anything for betting on The Good Guy Aiba, after all. 

“Aiba-chan,” he started as soon as the other answered the phone. “I sent you a location. Can you come to pick me up? Well… I kind of got into trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia:  
> • “Ohno loves Bruce Lee" is from Arashi ni Shiyagare (2014.09.06 Guest: Karasawa Toshiaki)  
> • “Aiba answers his phone always” from Himitsu no Arashi-chan (date 2010.08.19 guest was Aragaki Yui) and also from VS Arashi NG (date 2013.01.31) part where Aiba actually answered his phone


	2. Chapter 2

Nino groaned with pain as his senses started to return him even though he wished they didn’t. He could feel every bone in his body aching and he hated it. He wasn't a fan of pain, not even a bit. He remembered what had happened very well. Fortunately, his brain was in its right place and seemed to be working well despite the pain in his whole body. He tried to open his eyes, failing with one because of how swollen it was. Well, as expected. There was no way that he could be uninjured after everything. 

He was really surprised when he saw the silent guy tied to a chair and trying to convince the yakuza that he had nothing to do with Nino. He felt even guiltier than before since he was telling the truth. Everything was Nino's fault and he shouldn't have involved him in the first place. However, it was already too late and Nino had no choice but to get beaten up in order to save him. So he pissed the yakuza off. Certainly, it wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done in his life, but he had to bet that if they were pissed enough they would forget about the silent guy. He was glad that it worked though. 

He let them beat him until he heard the sirens. He wasn’t an idiot -it depends on where you are looking- so when the yakuza called him and demanded their money back, Nino called an old detective, Matsuoka Masahiro, who he had some kind of acquaintanceship with. Well, Matsuoka had been trying to catch him for a while already so it wasn’t like they were friends. But somehow, that old man listened to him when he told him about the situation. As much as Matsuoka hated Nino, he must hate the Oida family more, Nino concluded when the other agreed to help him. Nino still knew that Matsuoka was trying to catch both the Oida family and Nino. However, he really didn’t have any other choice, so he decided to give himself up. He was willing to get caught by Matsuoka if it meant saving an innocent person. And honestly, he didn’t regret that, at all; especially when that certain innocent person was the silent guy.

“Oh, you are awake!” someone cooed suddenly from the doorway. Tired but determined, Nino tried to get up from, but a pair of strong hands stopped him, pushing him down into the soft mattress. “You shouldn’t get up right now,” he said softly. 

“Who are you?” Nino asked, his voice cracking a bit. He took a moment to make some observations about this new guy. He was tall, Nino thought first. He had black hair which was shaped nicely, and he was wearing dark brown trousers and a beige linen shirt, which had its first two buttons open. 

“My name is Aiba Masaki,” the other one explained. “I am a friend of Ohno’s, and right now you are in my house.” His eyes looked warm behind his thin, silver framed glasses. 

“Ohno?” Nino mumbled, confused. 

“Yes, but I guess you don’t know his name? He is the person from last night,” Aiba told him, and Nino felt the panic rising again. What happened to the silent guy -No, Ohno, he corrected himself. “Don’t worry, he is alright. Actually, he is sleeping downstairs,” Aiba said, offering him a reassuring smile. Nino sighed in relief. “He told me about everything. Thank you for saving my friend,” Aiba continued to talk with his soft voice. It was so soothing, Nino almost fell asleep once again. 

“I didn’t do anything,” Nino said, disagreeing. “He got into trouble because of me,” he continued guiltily. Why did he even save me? Nino questioned, unable to voice that thought. 

“Did you intend to make him get into trouble?” Aiba asked seriously. 

“No, but…” Nino answered right away, not even hesitating for a moment. 

“You went to save him, am I right?”

“I did, but…” 

“Then it’s alright,” Aiba answered with that soft smile of his. Nino immediately realized that this Aiba Masaki must be a very good person. Too good for his own good, Nino thought.

“Do you even know who I am and what I did?” Nino asked painfully. 

“If this is about you being a thief, yes, I do know about it,” Aiba answered him unwaveringly. Nino sighed irritatedly. 

“Common sense says you usually throw a thief out. Or more likely you turn them in,” Nino tried to reason with Aiba. 

“Common sense says so, sure. Fortunately, I am famous for my crazy ideas,” Aiba said while nodding seriously. “And anyway, you wouldn’t be able to find anything to steal. My bookshop doesn’t have that much of money even on its best days.” Aiba shrugged. 

Nino wanted to facepalm; too bad his left hand was in such incredible pain. He couldn’t hold back his pained cry when he tried to move it. “It must have gotten broken,” Aiba explained as he grimaced when he heard Nino’s pained voice. “We should take you to the hospital.” 

Nino wanted to laugh. “No, that won’t happen,” he said firmly. He didn’t have that much money to defray the cost of a hospital. Everyone would expect that a thief would have a lot of money, but not Nino. As much as he loved money, he had always refused to take more than he actually needed. But neither Aiba nor Ohno -calling the silent guy “Ohno” felt really strange, he added- had to know about that. He took a deep breath and once again tried to rise from the bed, this time successful. “I’ve already given you a lot of trouble. Thank you very much for your kindness, but it would be the best if I left right now,” Nino told him with a smile. Aiba was already up, trying to stop him, but Nino was faster than him even in his worst shape. He swiftly moved past him only to be stopped again. This time the person who stopped Nino was none other than Ohno. 

“Where do you plan to go?” the silent guy asked. No, his name is Ohno, Nino reminded himself once again as Ohno talked to him for the first time. Certainly, it was strange, especially since he had already heard his voice when he was speaking with the yakuza (Nino decided to ignore the part where he’d heard his muffled moan when they were kissing).

“Well, to my home?” Nino answered.

“In that condition? And where is that house?” Ohno questioned calmly. 

“I can take care of myself,” Nino said stubbornly, making an attempt to walk past him. However, the other one quickly grasped his injured left arm, making Nino cry out in pain. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Nino asked louder than he actually meant to. 

“Now you see? I am not even mentioning the other injuries to your body.” Ohno’s calmness was making Nino angry. 

“Why the hell are you even bothered by it?” Nino narrowed his eyes. Ohno simply shrugged which pissed Nino off more, but before he could bite back at Ohno, Aiba stepped between them. 

“You need help,” Aiba said softly. “Please, just let us help you.” 

“You guys are really idiots!” Nino exploded finally. “You know that I am a thief, don’t you?!” He turned his head to Ohno. His eyes were fierce, almost trying to cut Ohno into two. “You know it! God, I used you to run away from yakuza! And you got caught and it was my fucking fault and you’re still trying to help me!? What are you, a saint?!” 

“Then call me St. Ohno,” Ohno answered with a sheepish grin. Nino’s chin dropped in disbelief. What the hell was that?! Aiba was also having a hard time suppressing his laughter. Giving up, Nino plopped down onto the bed once again. 

“You guys are a bunch of idiots, and you,” he pointed at Ohno. “You are definitely insane,” he said finally. 

“Call me whatever you like,” Ohno said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “And what is your name, Mr. Thief?”

Suddenly feeling exposed, Nino averted his gaze, focusing on anything but Ohno. “Nino,” he said finally. “Call me Nino.” 

“Nino?” Aiba titled his head in confusion. 

“Everyone calls me that since it’s Ninomiya Kazunari,” he said. “And please refrain from making that stupid Ninomiya Kinjiro joke!” Nino added with a pout. 

Ohno chuckled. “I wouldn’t joke about it,” he said truthfully. 

“You have someone to call?” Aiba asked. Nino looked at him with questioning eyes. “Family? Friends?” Nino shrugged, once again forgetting his injuries. However, this time he managed to contain it only to a grimace. Aiba and Ohno exchanged a look, and Aiba pushed Nino into the bed once again. “You should try to get some sleep,” he said softly. “I will wake you up when the doctor comes.” 

When his head met the fluffy pillow, Nino felt overwhelmed by his tiredness once again and fell asleep immediately. 

 

***

 

After sleeping in for a good time, Nino felt better. How long had it been since he last slept in a proper bed? And plus, this one was really fluffy and comfortable, which was very different from the bed he used to know. 

Nino grew up in an orphanage and never knew who his real parents were. The orphanage that he grew up in was not even second rate, and he remembered that he was hungry more than not. The place was dirty, and the people who had to look after the kids never did their jobs so the kids eventually had to look after themselves. They never had a proper education and Nino had to drop out of school during his first year of high school. Of course, no one was willing to give a job to someone who didn’t even get to finish high school. Nino tried his best with part-time jobs like working in a convenience store or McDonald’s, but after getting bullied by his colleagues he had to leave them too. He did a lot of things after that. And most of them were even dirtier than he would have liked. But in order to stay alive in that world without having anything or anyone, he had to do those things. So being a thief was probably one of the less disgusting things in his life.

His first theft took place during that period. Nino hated what he did, he really hated it, but still, it was bringing him money and he really needed it. And after spending some time with lots of different things, he decided this at least could protect his body from other things, and so he decided only to steal the things that he needed. No more and no less. He wasn’t trying to justify his actions, but if he really had to be a bad person, he could at least try to minimize the damage. 

But still, a thief was a thief, Nino thought. He knew that the public wouldn’t accept this fact that easily, so it was a mystery to Nino why this Aiba and Ohno was so determined to help him. Maybe they were really crazy, he tried to reason, but somehow it didn’t even make any sense to himself. 

After a few hours of sleeping, Aiba woke him up, telling him a doctor had come to look at his injuries. Nino complied with him and tried his best to stay silent when the doctor was treating his injuries. Fortunately, it turned out that Nino’s arm wasn’t broken, but it seemed like it would take him a little until it was completely healed. The doctor, who was a very kind old man, was working in a local clinic and knew Aiba and Ohno from back when he was attending high school. After the doctor left Aiba, who apparently thought that it was his own mission to enlighten Nino, started to tell him the story of how he and Ohno met. 

“I know Oh-chan from high school,” he started with a smile. “I met him when I was at first year, and we were both in the literature club. You see, our school was very famous for its clubs, and honestly I wanted to join the basketball club since my parents already owned a bookshop and I had seen enough books to last a lifetime, but it already had a lot of members so I ended up in the literature club.” 

“I am surprised,” Nino said blinking a few times after hearing that Ohno was in the literature club. “I mean, he looks too sleepy to read books,” he commented. 

Aiba let out a hearty laugh. “I know, right? When I first went to the club, he was sleeping!” Nino had to laugh at that too. “He said he joined the literature club because it sounded like it was silent so he could sleep without getting disturbed.” 

Nino cackled. “It somehow sounds like him.” He stopped for a moment and added, “Although I don’t really know him.” 

Aiba smiled. “He seems like he is very hard to figure out but he isn’t that complicated, you’ll see,” he said finally with a soft chuckle. 

“Speaking of Ohno…” Nino started, not really sure if he was allowed to ask about him. 

“Oh, he went to work,” Aiba explained quickly, understanding what he was trying to ask. Then Aiba stood up. “Speaking of work, I should also go to work now, but I will come to check on you from time to time, so please rest!” he said, but before he could get out of the room, Nino stopped him. 

“Aiba-san!” he started hesitantly. Aiba looked at him questioningly. “I know you are a very nice person and you want to help me, but… would you let me help you? Anything is fine! Cleaning, laundry, or even cooking!” He looked up at Aiba’s eyes, which were hidden behind his glasses. Nino bit his lower lip. No one wants help from a thief, he thought bitterly. “I know, I am a thief and all, but…” he started, but this time Aiba cut him off. 

“Would you like to help with the shop?” he asked with a smile on his face. 

“Shop?” Nino asked, surprised. 

Aiba nodded. “I took over my parents’ bookshop a few years ago. You can help down there.” 

“Down there?”

Aiba chuckled. “I live above my own shop, it’s very convenient!” 

Nino blinked a few times. “You sure? With me, helping you down there?”

Aiba nodded. “Why not? We are not usually that busy, so you can just stand behind the counter and I can sort out the new books that were delivered this morning.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you stood behind the counter?” Nino said, scratching behind his neck. He averted his eyes. 

“Why?” Aiba asked innocently. Because I am a thief, Nino wanted to scream, but he bit back. “Your arm isn’t healed anyways, so it’s better if you stood behind the counter,” he reasoned. “If anyone comes in, you can just call out for me.” 

Nino thought about it for a moment. He really had no idea why Aiba trusted him like this, but he wouldn’t betray that trust that easily so he agreed to help him. “But,” he had to state one question before he could help him. “Wouldn’t my appearance scare the customers?” 

Aiba laughed. “Then you should call me instantly and hide behind the counter, although I can assure you that we probably won’t have any customers until the evening.”

 

***

 

That was how Nino started to work in Aiba’s bookshop, Paradise. True to his word, Paradise was mostly quiet and customers mostly visited the shop after five in the evening. For that reason, Aiba usually opened the shop at ten in the morning and closed it after eight in the evening. 

It was an average-sized shop. It was neither too big nor too small. It had lots of not too tall shelves, filled with various books. Aiba stood behind the counter together with Nino mostly when he didn’t have any deliveries. There was a computer to keep track of the stock, a small TV behind the counter to watch when there weren’t any customers, a vintage music set which looked very high quality and an air conditioner which made Nino very happy since it was a really hot summer. The shop had two security cameras, one watching the front gate and one watching the counter, both of them linked to the computer. There was also a showcase in front of the shop which was arranged beautifully with both new books and best-selling ones. The empty sides of the bookshelves and behind the counter were decorated with posters of book announcements or posters for movies adapted from books. The shop was mostly silent and Aiba only had one digital clock behind the counter for himself, and when Nino asked about it, he smiled and told him that he preferred not to bother customers with time. He was so considerate towards everyone so it really didn’t surprise Nino. 

Of course, Ohno continued to come and visit them regularly. Almost too regularly… He would come to Paradise with a box of sweets when the clock hit 12:30 pm. Apparently, Ohno and Aiba both had a very strange love of sweets. For Nino, sweets weren’t something really important so he never bothered with them. But seeing Ohno and Aiba’s -okay, mostly Ohno’s, he admitted- happy face when they were eating cheesecake together also made Nino happy. So he decided that he could accept this sweets time. However, apparently, one person didn’t agree with Ohno’s sweets time as much as Nino did. Ohno’s regular absence seemed to piss his secretary off -Matsumoto Jun, Nino reminded himself. He’d had to drag Ohno back to his office a couple of times already.

Nino found that scene rather funny. Aiba told him that Ohno worked for an IT company which usually had lots of work. Apparently, Matsumoto Jun had been working as his secretary for a couple of years already, and Aiba also told him that if it weren’t for Jun, Ohno would probably sleep more than he actually worked. Nino chuckled at that. He hadn’t gotten to spend much time with Ohno after that day but he realized that he would really like to spend some time with him. 

 

***

It had been more than two weeks and Nino was feeling very well. The injuries and swells had finally healed and the only problem was his left arm. He wasn’t feeling pain anymore, but when he tried to move it too much, he would still end up with a grimace on his face. And if he had to be honest with himself, he hoped that his left arm would take a bit more to heal. 

Nino was aware that he should leave that place soon, but he really didn’t want to. Paradise felt like home, after all those years of not having a home. It was the closest to that feeling for him… Spending his time with Aiba and looking forward to Ohno’s visits… It was simply addictive. However he had to leave eventually, Nino reminded himself, smiling bitterly. 

“Nino-chan!” Aiba called out from the counter. “Can you come here for a moment?”

Nino stopped cleaning the dust immediately and made his way towards the counter. With the improvement of his health, he started to do more to help in the shop, like cleaning the shelves when they got too dusty or cleaning small dirty spots. That was the least he could do to make himself useful since Aiba fussed over him like he was fragile. Though, Nino couldn’t say that he hated it. It felt like being with a big brother, which he never had in the first place. “Something wrong?” he asked casually as he saw Aiba gathering his things.

“The delivery man called and asked me to go to their office. It looks like their system is down and they need to make the contract again or something,” Aiba told him while scratching the back of his neck. “I know you’re not fully healed yet but I think it won’t take me too long, so is it okay if I leave you alone for a couple of hours?” 

Nino snorted. “Go. It’s not like I am disabled. But are you sure about leaving me here alone?” He asked especially emphasizing the question. 

Aiba looked confused. “Why not?” 

Nino heaved a sigh. “Nothing,” he mumbled. “Whatever, don’t worry about me. I’ll look after the shop.” 

Aiba beamed a smile and ruffled Nino’s hair lovingly. “Thanks, Nino! I will bring chocolate cake!” And stormed outside. 

Nino rolled his eyes. “Don’t bother with it!” he said, knowing that Aiba was long gone. 

After the sound of the small bell above the door died down, Nino was left alone in the silent shop. He sighed, not knowing what to do. It was still too early for customers to come and Nino was sure that there was nothing he could do until someone came in, so he decided to play some music. 

Aiba had a good archive of music CDs. He usually kept his entire collection in his house but some of them were on the counter in case he wanted to listen when no one was around. Aiba showed him his collection and told him to bring anything that he wanted to the shop and listen to them whenever he wanted. 

This passion of Aiba’s surprised Nino at first, but soon he discovered the reason when he saw the owner of the music shop which was located next to Paradise. Aiba Masaki had a very serious crush on the owner of Rhapsody, Sakurai Sho. It didn’t take Nino long to understand that. And if his instincts were telling him the truth, this Sakurai Sho was also interested in Aiba. He still remembered how he eyed Nino when he first saw him next to Aiba. He told them that he brought a new CD to Aiba since he knew that Aiba liked that song, but Nino was 99.9% sure that it was only to look into Nino. For a moment he thought about telling Aiba about Sakurai but soon he gave up. They were really adorable flirting like that so Nino decided to keep it himself. 

Also, having Sakurai as their friend was a good thing for Nino because he really liked music. Although he didn’t have a lot of opportunities to listen to music, Nino did his best to keep up with everything. He was a loyal visitor of the listening booths in the music shops since it was both free and enjoyable. When he was younger, Nino also had a guitar, which he found in the garbage. He managed to hold onto it and learned to play some songs by himself, but as soon as the adults in the facility discovered the guitar, they threw it out. Nino had never been sadder than that in his life. 

Nino looked over the CDs. Unable to decide what to play he looked at the CD covers for a while. Finally, an old song caught his attention. He reached for the CD with a nostalgic smile on his face. “First Love by Utada Hikaru, huh?” he mumbled and placed the CD in the player. This was the first song that Nino learned to play with his guitar. He practiced a lot to be able to play it after all. 

He sat down in a chair behind the counter and closed his eyes as the soft harmony of the guitar and piano blended together, filling the empty bookshop. Utada Hikaru’s voice soon joined the melody and Nino shivered and smiled. His lips started moving on their own, accompanying the song. At first, his voice was low, simply humming the melody until the song reached the first chorus.  
Nino smiled. How long has it been since he last sang a melody like this? How long has it been since he listened to this song? He didn’t remember well but he still knew the lyrics perfectly. His lips continued to move with the lyrics and he really didn’t care how clumsily he was singing. It felt strangely good and somehow lonely at the same time. Maybe it was because of the bittersweet lyrics of the song, but Nino couldn’t help but think what would have happened if he had a real family to look after him. Maybe he would be able to study music… Maybe he would be the one who was creating songs like this… But all of this was nothing but hypothetical. The world didn’t revolve on what-ifs, after all, and Nino was the one who knew it best, who experienced it first-hand. 

When the song reached its conclusion, Ohno’s face suddenly popped into his mind as a lonely feeling invaded his heart. It wasn’t like he had fallen for him, Nino was sure about that. Love wasn’t his forte but he had always thought that love would take time. He was experienced with a lot of things in many ways, but he also lacked a lot of normal experiences. He was skilled in kissing because he also did that kind of job too, in order to survive. But he wasn’t really skilled in love, so there was simply no way he could understand why his heart was beating a little faster than usual or why he wanted to get closer to Ohno. _I wish I knew more_ , he thought sulkily. But there was one thing that he knew; the urge to get closer to Ohno was stronger than him, as if there was a connection pulling him towards Ohno. 

He sang the last phrases with the thought of Ohno in his mind and let his voice disappear in the silent shop. Utada Hikaru’s voice also disappeared, leaving its place to soft melody of instruments once again. Once the room fell silent again, Nino heard applause. Startled by the sudden sound, he jumped from his place to turn his head to his visitor, only to find Ohno in front of him. 

“That was incredible!” Ohno said with a wide smile on his face. He seemed a little surprised but his eyes sparkled with appreciation. Nino’s chin dropped with surprise and he suddenly felt embarrassed by Ohno’s compliment. He scratched the back of his neck with his right hand and averted his gaze from Ohno. 

“I didn’t hear you coming him,” he managed to say. Honestly, he wasn’t expecting Ohno. It had already been three days since his last visit -it wasn’t like he was counting at all- and he had thought that the other was too busy to visit. 

“I guess I should be glad that you didn’t notice,” Ohno said seriously. “Otherwise you would have stopped singing right away.” 

“Well…” Nino couldn’t deny it. 

“You are good at it,” Ohno said earnestly.

“I am not,” Nino said with a sigh. “I am not educated or anything like that.”

“But I am not talking about education here,” Ohno said calmly. “I simply stated that you have talent.”

“Mostly having talent doesn’t help you, you know?”

Ohno simply shrugged.

Nino sighed. “If you are looking for Aiba, there was trouble with the delivery service and he needed to go there,” he explained. 

Ohno hummed for a moment and chose to stay silent. “But I didn’t come for him,” he said, finally making his way behind the counter. He casually took off the jacket of his black suit and loosened his sky blue necktie, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his dress shirt and rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. Nino looked at him questioningly. _Where have you been?_ He wanted to ask but he didn’t know why he wanted to ask that question. However, Ohno answered as if he had read Nino’s mind. “I have been doing my best to finish all of my work,” he said as he plopped down onto the chair next to Nino and leaned onto the counter, placing his head onto his slim but muscled arms. He turned his head towards Nino so he could look directly at him. His chubby cheek was squished by the weight of his head. “And now,” he continued, “I have a whole weekend to do anything I want.” 

Nino averted his gaze once again in order to collect his thoughts so he busied himself with the CDs. He started to organize them even though they were already well organized. “Is that so? Then why are you here?” he asked trying to stay casual. 

“I like it here,” Ohno said simply. Nino could still feel his eyes on him. 

“Liar,” he said. “Aiba told me that you had no interest in books.” 

“He is right,” Ohno mumbled his voice already sounding shallow. “But I have another thing that interests me here,” he said almost inaudibly. 

“Really? And what is that?” Nino asked still trying to busy himself with the CDs. But when he didn’t get an answer, he turned to look at Ohno, only to see that he had already fallen asleep. 

Nino chuckled at the sight of Ohno sleeping innocently next to him. “So you are interested in sleeping?” He assumed but couldn’t bring himself to get angry to him. He watched Ohno in silence for a while until he found the courage to touch him. He softly brushed away the tufts of hair that were falling into his eyes, with a smile he couldn’t stop on his face. “You guys are too good for your own good,” he whispered softly. “You shouldn’t trust me like this. You really shouldn’t…” 

 

***

 

Ohno spent the Friday night with them. Or rather, with Nino because apparently seeing a bunch of unknown men loitering around Aiba way too much lately, Sakurai Sho had decided to ask him out. 

Aiba's shocked face was so precious when Sakurai Sho came that Friday night and asked him if he would like to visit a jazz bar that Sho personally loved. Nino wanted to take a picture of him but his hands were full with suppressing his laughter. Ohno was completely lost about why Sakurai eyed him like that, and Nino had to explain it to him when a very happy Aiba left with his Prince Charming for the night. 

“He thought you might be dangerous for him,” Nino explained with a chuckle when they were both sitting behind the counter.

Ohno tilted his head in confusion. “Why?” 

“Well, you have been coming very regularly lately so he might have thought that you were trying to ask Aiba out,” Nino reasoned. 

“But if I wanted to ask Aiba-chan out I would’ve done it immediately,” Ohno answered still confused. “Why bother beating around the bush?” 

“You are very bold,” Nino laughed out loud. 

“I don't want to hear that from _you_ ,” Ohno said with a cute pout on his face. “You are the one who is bold,” he grumbled while crossing his arms in front of his chest. Nino looked at him confused but then, seeing Ohno’s slightly pink cheeks, it dawned on him. _He is talking about the kiss!_ he thought. “But you seemed pretty desperate,” Ohno continued with a shrug, averting his gaze from Nino. “So I will let it go. It didn’t mean that much after all.” 

Nino’s lips curled upwards as he stood up from his chair in order to go and clean dust from the shelves. “But at least, I think we both enjoyed it,” he mumbled almost inaudibly. 

“Huh? You said something?” Ohno asked, but Nino was already at the front of the store, cleaning the already clean shelves. 

 

***

 

“And he can play the piano!!” Aiba continued telling them about his evening. “The owner of the bar was a close friend of Sho-chan’s from university and-”

“Wait a minute!” Nino cut him off. “Are you calling him Sho-chan? Already?” 

Aiba blinked a few times before he could register what he’d said, his face suddenly turning crimson. “Well… um… that’s…” 

Seeing that, Nino let out a hearty laugh. “Oh my god, Aiba,” he cackled. “You are adorable!” 

Aiba blushed even more, as if it were possible. “Stop teasing me!” 

“But he is right,” Ohno agreed while he lifted his head from the paper that he was painting. There was a warm smile on his face as he looked at Aiba. 

“I am glad he is not a jerk,” Nino added. “Otherwise I would have to punch him.” 

Aiba laughed. “You know I can punch him by myself if he does something.”

“No way,” Nino argued. “You are too soft for punching someone.”

“And are you tough enough for that?” Ohno asked. 

“You would be surprised if you know how tough I really am,” Nino dared to him. 

“Oh gosh! Stop flirting like that,” Aiba cut them off slyly. 

“We are not flirting!” they both answered at the same time. However, Aiba could see Nino’s crimson ears and Ohno’s embarrassed look as he concentrated on the paper in front of him. 

“By the way,” Nino asked suddenly, turning his head to Ohno. “What are you doing?” he asked curiously. 

“Oh, nothing,” Ohno answered with a simple shrug. “Just some drawing.”

Nino took a peek at the drawing from over Ohno’s shoulder. “Oh, my,” Nino mumbled, genuinely surprised by the beauty of the drawing. “What is this?”

“A hummingbird,” Ohno answered casually. He set his black pen down, only to get a navy colored one. 

“I know that,” Nino rolled his eyes. “I mean this is beautiful.” 

And it was certainly beautiful. The bird looked like it came out of a fantasy book. The lines over the paper weren’t sharp, which gave a feeling of mystery to the picture. It didn’t contain many colors, mostly the white paper peeking out from under vague lines while Ohno continued to draw some lines with blue-toned pens. First, he took the navy blue one, and then colored the wing lines with turquoise. 

“Wow,” Nino mumbled. “I thought you worked at an IT company.” 

Ohno nodded. “I do,” he answered, carefully adding the last blue tone over the beak and smiling, satisfied.

“You are good at it!” Nino said enthusiastically. 

Ohno shrugged. “I am not educated or anything like that.” 

“I am not talking about education here!” Nino said sternly. 

Ohno threw him a knowing glance, with an irritating smile on his face. “Now you get what I meant?” 

Nino’s chin dropped. “You are unbelievable,” he grumbled. “I can’t believe you.”

“What? What?!” Aiba asked, confused by the weird conversation between them. “What happened here while I was away?” 

“Nothing,” Ohno chuckled, and then he carefully ripped the paper from his sketchbook. “Here, I will give this one to you.” He handed the paper to Nino casually. Nino hesitantly took it as Ohno got up from his chair. “Well then, Aiba-chan, I should go now,” he said, leaving before Nino could even react. Dumbfounded, Nino looked at the hummingbird drawing. 

“Oh-chan is very talented, isn’t he?” Aiba asked as he looked at the drawing from over Nino’s shoulder. “You remember the sea painting in the room you are staying in? He gave it to me on my 20th birthday~” Aiba mused just before his phone started to ring. “Oh! Sho-chan!!” he answered, leaving the room hurriedly. Nino knew he probably won’t return. He smiled and went to his room, but that night Nino couldn’t sleep for hours. He looked at the sea painting signed with OS initials, fascinated by the gentle and lovely touches of the brush. 

“Education doesn’t matter, huh?” he mumbled. Maybe I can too, he thought lastly before finally falling asleep. 

 

***

 

After that night, Ohno once again disappeared. Aiba told him that he must be very busy and Nino shrugged indifferently. It wasn’t like he was expecting to meet him every day. However, after a whole week, Nino had to admit that he started to miss the silent guy’s presence. 

His left arm was also completely healed but Nino kept it a secret for now. He didn’t want to leave. He liked staying at Paradise, he liked Aiba’s bubbly personality, and Aiba’s warm smile made him feel like he was family. 

Sakurai Sho started to visit more regularly, eventually getting very friendly with Nino. He decided that he also liked Sakurai immediately. The young man who had plump limps and sloping shoulders was born in the same year as Aiba, although he was born in January. Sakurai also seemed to take a liking to Nino too, which made Aiba very happy. 

One of those evenings when Nino was helping Aiba close up the shop, Sakurai came to visit them with a warm smile on his face. “Good evening, Ninomiya-kun,” he greeted Nino first and went to greet Aiba. Nino smiled as Aiba flashed the brightest smile of the day when he saw Sakurai. They look so damn adorable, Nino thought as he averted his gaze in order to give them some privacy. 

“Are you free tonight?” Sakurai asked Aiba. “I have found a very interesting karaoke place in Roppongi. Maybe we could go there and have fun.” 

Aiba tilted his head. “Karaoke?” 

Sakurai nodded, his eyes sparkling with hope. “It’s very interesting! There are real band members playing behind you while you sing!” Aiba was, of course, very excited about it. Pleased by his excitement, Sakurai smiled and turned his head towards Nino and asked: “Won’t you also come with us, Ninomiya-kun?” 

“Why?” Nino asked surprised. 

“The more the merrier!” Aiba explained with a huge smile on his face. 

Nino rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to be the third wheel. Go and have fun, lovebirds.” 

However, Aiba ignored him. “Let’s call Oh-chan too! He must be drowned in work and would be happy to get a break!” he said, immediately dialing Ohno’s number. 

Sakurai nodded knowingly. “I agree,” he said to Aiba and turned his head towards Nino once again. “The more the merrier and I bet we will have a lot of fun!” 

Nino sighed. “Two would be more romantic,” he protested. 

Sakurai let out a hearty laugh. “I can always go on dates with Masaki but hanging out with friends is also important.” 

Nino smiled slyly. “So you call him Masaki, already? Way to go, Sakurai!” 

Sakurai blushed immediately, but he was lucky as Aiba quickly came to his rescue. “Oh-chan agreed to come!” 

“Really!?” Nino exclaimed a bit more excitedly than he had actually wanted. 

“Yes! He said he would come directly and take Jun-kun with him if he is lucky enough,” Aiba explained, not aware of Nino’s distress. Why would the secretary accompany him? And why if he is lucky enough? Nino frowned. _And why don’t I like that?_

“It would be better if I don’t come after all,” Nino said reservedly. 

“Eeeh?! But why!?” Aiba asked. 

Nino rolled his eyes. _Because I am a thief and since I am not stealing anything I don’t have any money. And oh, I don’t want to spoil everything between you and your boyfriend with the fact that I am a thief!_ he wanted to say, but of course, there was no way he could say that. “It doesn’t fit into my budget,” he said simply. 

“Oh my, is that why you are not coming?! That hurts me! I may be your boss but I am also your friend,” Aiba said determinedly. “So stop worrying about things like that! You are coming with us!” 

 

***

 

With that, Nino ended up at karaoke together with Aiba and Sho. Aiba even threatened him with not going if Nino wouldn’t come so he eventually gave in… 

The karaoke bar was called Ban x Kara Zone-R and it was just as Sho had said. The place looked expensive and Nino really didn’t like expensive places. But he had to admit that the place had a really good atmosphere. The bar wasn’t too big but also wasn’t too small. There was a real band behind the karaoke machine and Nino couldn’t help but observe the instruments that the band members were using. Sho and Aiba ordered beer as soon as they got into the bar. Both of them were really attentive and Nino knew it was in their nature, but Nino was still the third wheel. He prayed for Ohno to come here as soon as possible but he also wasn’t sure if he really wanted that. If he came with Matsumoto, Nino would be in a worse position than the third wheel.

Just at that moment, Ohno came into the bar. Together with Matsumoto. Nino wanted to cry. 

“Nino~” Ohno greeted him with his usual soft smile. Matsumoto bowed and then held out his hand with a dazzling smile. 

“Nice to see you again, Ninomiya-san.”

“Oh, um, yeah,” Nino mumbled awkwardly. 

“See, MatsuJun? You scared him when you dragged me out of the shop,” Ohno elbowed his side. 

Matsumoto frowned. “But that was totally your fault! Why do I have to be the bad guy here!?” 

“You are scary when you are in your complete work mode!” Ohno insisted. 

“It’s because you skip your work!” 

“Um! Guys!” Aiba cut them off. “Stop quarreling already! You are scaring my boyfriend here!” 

“Oh, my,” Matsumoto seemed surprised as his eyes found Sakurai. “So you two are dating?” 

“Yes,” Sakurai answered, standing next to Aiba, wrapping his arm around Aiba’s waist as if trying to protect him. Aiba’s blush could be seen even in the dim lighting. Nino giggled. They were really adorable! “My name is Sakurai Sho, nice to meet you.” 

“My name is Matsumoto Jun,” he answered earnestly. “I am glad Aiba-san has finally found someone.” 

And with that, everyone settled at the table. It was a small, tall, round table and everyone was standing while leaning over it. Nino, who was not used to these kind of gatherings -actually, this was his first time participating in one- still felt a bit uneasy, but soon that feeling disappeared in the warm conversation between the five guys. Aiba was the first one who suggested singing and Sho immediately agreed. They choose Natsuiro by Yuzu and Nino couldn’t stop smiling as they sang the energetic song. By the time they were finished everyone in the bar was cheering for them. Nino joined the cheering too; to his surprise, he was having a lot of fun! 

“You should sing too,” Nino jumped in surprise, suddenly hearing Ohno’s voice very close to his ear. 

“No way,” he said, trying to move a bit farther away from Ohno. But Ohno caught his wrist and looked directly into his eyes. The touch made Nino’s heart beat a little faster than usual.

“Please,” he said with a smile on his face. “You should sing.” His long fingers around Nino’s skin were very warm and soft, encouraging Nino to sing. 

“But I really…” Nino started, however, Ohno cut him off. 

“Don’t think,” he said reassuringly. “Just sing.” 

Nino averted his gaze from Ohno and looked at the stage once again. His eyes stopped when he finally saw the guitarist who played the acoustic guitar when Sakurai and Aiba were singing. The guitar had a beautiful hummingbird design on it. Just like the one Ohno had given him. Well, the hummingbird he drew was more elegant, but this one was also beautiful. He took a step closer to the stage but stopped to look at Ohno again. 

Ohno smiled and nodded once as if saying him, you can do it. Nino took a deep breath and walked to the stage and stopped in front of the karaoke machine. He really had no idea what to choose so he simply searched through the list. He could feel everyone’s gaze on him but he didn’t give himself a chance to back out. His eyes stopped over a song: Yuushinron by Radwimps. He wanted to laugh and decided to play it. He remembered when the song was first released. He went to different music shops to listen to its preview… It really fit his situation well, how ironic. 

As the acoustic guitar started to play that soft melody, Nino started to sing simultaneously with a smile on his face. 

After some lines, other instruments started to play a rather colorful and beautiful melody. Nino felt strange for singing in front of an audience but he had already given in and was trying not to care about anyone around him. He listened to the music and followed the beat. 

The song fitted his situation very well, Nino was sure about it. From the moment that Ohno brought him to Aiba and helped him, he was slowly becoming the person he always wanted to be. It was like Ohno was turning him into best of himself. However, no matter how complicated his feelings right now, he couldn’t help but smile widely because of singing in front of an audience felt really good.

When he finally dared to look at the table where the other four were sitting, he was surprised that Aiba, Sakurai, and Matsumoto were cheering loudly for Nino and Ohno was smiling warmly next to them. When his eyes met with Ohno’s, he showed him a double thumbs up, making Nino’s smile. 

When the song finished, Nino gained a really loud cheering from everyone in the bar. He returned their small group with a crimson face. 

“Nino!!!” Aiba jumped over to him and hugging him as if he was trying to squish him. “YOU WERE AWESOME!!!!” 

“Don’t shout next to my ear!” Nino shouted, trying his best to sound petulant but failing to hide the big grin on his face. 

“How come you hid this from me?! Am I not your best friend?! Oh well, whatever! Sing one more time!!!!” 

They couldn’t stop Aiba’s excitement for a moment until Sakurai stepped in to save Nino. They ended up drinking a bit more until Matsumoto decided to leave first. He said his fiancée was waiting for him. Hearing that, Nino released a relieved sigh, not really knowing why he was happy that Matsumoto was already taken. 

After Matsumoto left, Sakurai and Aiba decided to sing a couple of more songs and Ohno dozed off at the table. Seeing him, Nino told Aiba and Sakurai that he would send Ohno home first and return to the house. “So _enjoy_ yourselves,” Nino winked subtly before dragging Ohno out of the bar. 

Ohno’s half-closed eyes opened as soon as they stepped out. He yawned and stretched his body. “Sorry for being a mood killer,” he said sheepishly. 

Nino shrugged. “I’m not a party person either.”

“You were awesome up there,” Ohno said with a soft smile on his face. Nino felt a hotness spreading across his face. He wanted to blame the alcohol that he had consumed. 

“Thanks,” he murmured. “Will you be okay returning home by yourself?” Nino asked, trying to change the subject. 

Ohno nodded. “I didn’t drink that much,” he answered. “But how will you get back?”

“Subway,” Nino answered. “It’s only five minutes by foot from here.”

“But the last train took off an hour ago?” Ohno stated. 

Nino chuckled. “I know, but I also know that Aiba and Sakurai may need the house tonight so I will just go to the station and rest on one of the benches until the first train.” Ohno’s frown made Nino chuckle. “Don’t worry about me. I have been in much worse situations.” 

“But you don’t have to stay out,” Ohno insisted. 

“Well, it only depends on where you are looking. I don’t count the metro station as outside,” Nino tried to reason. He didn’t really have any trouble with staying out for the night. 

“You can come to my house?” Ohno offered suddenly. Nino’s chin dropped in surprise. “My house is small, but it’s still a house.” 

Nino groaned. “You realize that you are inviting a thief into your house, right?” 

Ohno smirked cheekily. The alcohol that he consumed was making him braver. “I know, you stole a kiss from me after all. How could I ever forget?” 

Nino blushed at that statement. “You will never forget about it, will you?” 

Ohno laughed. “Never,” he said calmly holding out his hand towards Nino. Nino’s heart started to beat faster at the gesture. _What a gentleman,_ Nino thought and eventually agreed. _I will see his house,_ he thought while trying to ignore the excitement that he was feeling. 

Neither of them noticed the suspicious man standing in the shadows of the building. 

 

***

 

They took a taxi to Ohno’s house. After Ohno gave the address to the driver, he decided not to say anything anymore, or maybe he was too tired to say anything. So the ride was silent but strangely, it didn’t feel unpleasant for Nino at all. He tried to remember what his life was like back then, three weeks ago. Three weeks… He wanted to mock himself. Only three weeks and he had already forgotten how he lived his life.

Living with Aiba felt good. Spending his days in the silent bookshop, sometimes watching some really ridiculous variety shows together with Aiba, watching him flirt with Sakurai and also expecting Ohno’s visits. He had almost forgotten who he was and why he was still there. He secretly took a glance at his left arm, which was currently healed. The reason why he continued to hide it was nothing but the fear of getting kicked out as soon as they found out they didn’t have to help Nino. 

He knew that those guys weren’t like that. They were genuine when they offered him help and he wanted to believe it when Aiba called him as his friend, but still… Nino couldn’t bring himself to relax. 

Paradise wasn’t a big shop and he knew Aiba could manage it perfectly fine just by himself. He also had a feeling if his relationship with Sakurai continued like this -he also hoped from the bottom of his heart that it would- they would end up with living together. It was obvious that they were crazy about each other. 

Suddenly he felt Ohno’s head on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at him, only to see the silent guy’s sleeping face. 

Nino chuckled inwardly as Ohno’s body leaned on him heavily. “If you are that tired, why did you even come?” he asked softly, not really waiting for an answer. 

“I wanted to see everyone,” Ohno murmured, surprising Nino. 

Nino chuckled. “You are stupid,” he said jokingly. “But I am glad you came.” 

Ohno hummed, not opening his eyes. 

“Where have you been?” Nino asked suddenly before he could stop himself. 

Ohno hummed once again. “MatsuJun made me work overtime…” he said drowsily. “I wanted to visit Paradise more than anything…” 

Nino chuckled. “I really don’t get why you continue coming over to Paradise that regularly…” 

“Maybe I will tell you one day,” Ohno mumbled before falling asleep completely. Nino laughed and decided to let him sleep until they reached their destination. 

The drive continued as silently as that until they reached a very normal looking residential area. Soon, the taxi stopped in front of one apartment and Nino had to wake Ohno up. Ohno blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes drowsily and quickly paid for the drive. He led Nino into the apartment and Nino couldn’t help but feel surprised. He didn’t know what he was expecting but this was really, really normal. He wasn’t really sure what exactly Ohno was doing as his job but he knew he was working at an IT company and he also knew he had a secretary, which meant he should be at least some kind of manager in the company. He thought Ohno was kind of rich and he expected him to live in a good residence or something like that. But no, he was living in a normal area, in a normal apartment with no elevator so they had to climb four floors until they reached Ohno’s house. 

The climb seemed to wake Ohno up and they were both out of breath when they finally reached his door. “I am surprised…” Nino said between his pants. “I didn’t know there were still apartments without elevators.”

Ohno chuckled while trying to catch his own breath. “Well, it’s close to my office,” he explained. “And I have been living here for a long time already.” 

“Like how long?” Nino asked curiously. 

“If we count university too, almost ten years,” Ohno answered. 

“Oh my gosh,” Nino groaned. “You’ve been living this hell for ten years?! Are you sure that you are not a masochist?” 

Ohno laughed but then closed his hands over his mouth. “We should get inside,” he said as he quickly took out his keys and welcomed Nino into his house. 

“Excuse me for disturbing,” Nino mumbled as he stopped in front of the entrance. He couldn’t help but frown when he saw a mini Segway in front of the entrance but he decided not to say anything. 

“Don’t stand like that,” Ohno said with a soft smile. “Come on in,” he encouraged Nino to come in, making his way towards the small living room. 

Nino followed Ohno to his living room which increased his confusion even more. There was a huge purple couch in the middle of the room and there was also the biggest TV he had seen in his life. Also, what was that hammock-like chair? Wasn’t that for gardens? True to his word, Ohno’s house was small… Or more precisely, his furniture was too big for the space! He didn’t even want to mention the big coffee table and that huge lamp...

“I told you it's a small place,” Ohno shrugged, taking off his jacket and throwing it to the other side of the purple sofa. 

“It’s not small! Your furniture preferences are horrible!” Nino protested. Ohno shrugged once again. “And you have a mini Segway?” 

“I use it inside,” Ohno answered with a nod. 

“Inside? Why?” Nino questioned. 

“I don’t really go outside beside fishing, and I certainly don’t need to ride it on the boat.”

“Wait, you fish?” 

Ohno nodded. 

“You are really mysterious,” Nino cackled. “I really don’t get what kind of person you are.” Finally! There, he said it! 

“People often say the same thing,” Ohno answered, averting his gaze from Nino. 

“Let me just summarize the things that I know about you,” Nino started, plopping down onto the purple sofa. “You are working at an IT company, right? And you must be at least in a high position because you have a secretary,” he said, and Ohno sat down next to him. There was an amused smile on his face. 

“I am,” he answered. “More like, the company is mine.” 

“Yours!?” Nino exclaimed in surprise. “So that means you are the CEO or what? What kind of title does owning a company give you?” 

“I am not good with titles, either. Probably CEO?” Ohno answered with a chuckle. 

“Then why are you living here?” Nino asked. “Couldn’t you afford much more than this? At least go somewhere with elevators!” 

Ohno chuckled softly. “Old habits die hard, I guess.” 

“And you fish… I thought only old men fish,” Nino stated. 

“People often call me ‘old man’ too,” Ohno agreed calmly. 

“And you also draw…” 

Ohno hummed softly. 

“I can’t figure you after all!” Nino ruffled his hair. 

“Then don’t try to figure me out?” Ohno proposed. “I only do whatever I like. Why do you even need to figure out my actions?” 

“I don’t know,” Nino answered truthfully. “But I feel like I must figure you out.” 

Ohno let out a laugh. “No one has ever tried to figure me out.” 

Nino giggled. “Then I will be the first?” he asked.

“You will,” Ohno answered. “You already hold some firsts of my life,” he said mischievously.

“You mean…” 

“The kiss,” Ohno completed his sentence with a smirk. 

“Oh god, you will never let me get away with it, will you?” Nino groaned, hiding his pink face behind his hands. 

Ohno laughed out loud. “You are unexpectedly shy,” he said between laughs. 

“I am not!” Nino protested. 

“You are cute,” Ohno said softly. 

“You are horrible,” Nino mumbled, averting his gaze from Ohno. “And I have no idea what connection this conversation has with me trying to figure you out,” he pouted slightly. 

Ohno reached out to tuck Nino’s hair behind his ears, and his thumb brushed Nino’s cheek, slightly making Nino’s heart beat crazily. “You are a smart man,” Ohno started with a soft smile adorning his face. “You will eventually, like I did,” Ohno reassured him. 

“Oh? Are you trying to say you already figured out me?” Nino challenged. 

“I guess so,” Ohno smiled mischievously. 

“Tell me,” Nino asked, amused. He wondered what Ohno thought about him. 

Ohno hummed a little, and then he leaned back, letting his head rest on the sofa. “You are a clever man, and you are a thief, but you are not that bad. You also hate being a thief and you haven’t tried to do anything while you’ve been staying with us. You care about Aiba,” Ohno eyed him with a smile. “You are a bit lost, also hesitant but you have a soft heart and you are very considerate,” Ohno took a breath and turned to Nino. “But you are lying about one thing.” 

Nino blinked with surprise and before he could react, Ohno grabbed his supposedly injured left arm. Nino bit his lower lip, knowing that he couldn’t fake it anymore. He lowered his head and whispered, “I am sorry.” 

Ohno didn’t say anything for a moment but then asked, “Why did you keep it a secret?” 

“I… I didn’t want you to kick me out...” he murmured hesitantly. 

Ohno looked at him confused. “Why would we kick you out?” 

“Well… I am a thief…” 

Ohno groaned, surprising Nino. He ran his hands through his hair. “Are you still at that?!” he asked tiredly. 

“But-!” Nino started, only to be cut off by Ohno. 

“Answer me honestly! Why did you become a thief?” he asked seriously. 

Nino averted his gaze. Did he really want to tell him about his past? Certainly not. He stood up swiftly before Ohno could react and made his way towards the door. However, Ohno stopped him just when he reached the door. He grabbed Nino’s wrist strongly in order to stop him. “Where are you going?” Ohno asked calmly. 

“It doesn’t concern you,” Nino answered, pressing his lips together. 

“It does,” Ohno insisted. “Nino-!” 

“It doesn’t, okay?! You act like you know about everything but you don’t, okay?” Nino explained desperately. “I am not just a thief, I’ve done much more! Bad things!” 

“I know!” Ohno said loudly, probably louder than he actually wanted. Nino looked at him with a shocked expression. “I did some research about you,” he continued. Nino’s shocked expression turned into a very hurtful look. Ohno hated to see that expression. “I am sorry,” he added. 

Nino freed his arm from Ohno’s grip softly. He felt like crying but he managed to smile a little. “Of course you did,” he murmured softly. “After all, you have to keep your friends safe too.” 

“Nino, it’s not like that-” Ohno tried to explain but Nino cut him off. 

“Don’t worry, I am not blaming you. You were right to do that research. Does Aiba know about it too?” he asked, feeling his heart break into a million pieces. He didn’t want his past to be known. Besides theft, he did a lot of things he wasn’t proud of. Selling his body, even drug dealing… He hated that part of his life. He wondered how much of it Ohno knew… Did he also manage to learn about the orphanage? 

“Aiba doesn’t know anything,” Ohno answered. “But Nino, none of those things were your fault,” Ohno tried to tell him, but Nino let out a hysterical laugh. 

“Of course they were,” Nino said. “Selling my body for money, dealing drugs for money, stealing for money… All of it was my choice and I am not denying the harm that I caused.” 

“You didn’t cause as much harm as you believe! Matsuoka-san-” Ohno tried to convince the other. 

“Matsuoka?” Nino blinked with surprise. “So you know him?” He laughed. “Then you should already turn me in.” 

“Nino, can you just listen-” 

“I’ve heard enough and you already know everything,” Nino mumbled, having a hard time to keeping his tears from falling. “I am sorry, I will leave now and won’t bother you again,” he said hastily and he left before Ohno could stop him again.

Ohno stood there shocked. _Were those… tears?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia:  
> Mentioned song (in order of appareance):  
> o [Utada Hikaru - First Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1sUaVJUeB0)  
> o [Yuzu - Natsuiro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjOXNAa_cA)  
> o [Radwimps - Yuushinron](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2y8Ba3WwPY)
> 
> • Ohno’s furniture – I think the purple sofa is already very famous haha the hammock chair is from Arashi 15th year Confession episode (Fuji TV one not the documentary). The purple sofa also gets mentioned in the same part. Mini segwey is from Merengue no Kimochi (2016.04.09)  
> • [Ninomiya Kinjiro](https://www.meanwhile-in-japan.com/ninomiya-kinjiro/) also Nino mentioned that every Ninomiya was bound to have Kinjiro as a nick name at some point in Nino-san (2015.09.13) and he also has a corner about it in Arashi ni Shiyagare  
> • The song Nino sang on the karaoke night from Radwips. Nino mentioned about this song on another Nino-san episode (date 2014.09.21) I used it because if you check the lyrics and the song itself it really fits the story and well, I personally love Radwimps too *blush*  
> • The karaoke place really exists. If you google the name of Ban x Kara Zone-R you’ll get the address in Roppongi and the content is the same as I mentioned.


	3. Chapter 3

Nino disappeared like he had never existed. There was no sign of him and he never returned to Aiba’s house either. When Aiba called Ohno in the morning to ask him where Nino is, Ohno’s voice cracked while he told him that he might have done something to hurt Nino. Aiba’s worried voice told him that he was coming over immediately. 

When Ohno hung up the phone, he once again laid down on his purple sofa. Why did he even have to bring that up? He had been curious about Nino and when he asked Matsu-nii he told him that they had caught an interesting little thief. Ohno and Matsuoka were connected through family. Matsuoka’s father worked together with Ohno’s father so whenever Ohno wanted to ask something, Matsuoka, who had a weird sense of justice, helped him. 

This time was no different and he told him some things about Nino too. Apparently, Nino was a very famous thief. Not because of his skills but because of his policy. He wouldn’t steal from old people, he wouldn’t steal more than he actually needed and the damage he caused was almost always directed to not-so-good people. Matsuoka even joked that he could have been a modern Robin Hood if he wanted. He also said if you simply followed the people Nino stole from, you would be able to get to a much bigger crime. 

After that, Ohno got more curious about Nino, hiring a detective to find out more about him. The detective managed to track Nino to his orphanage times. Ohno wasn’t pleased by what he heard about the orphanage that Nino grew up in. 

The orphanage that Nino used to live in was closed down a few years after Nino had left that place. However, he managed to discover a few dirty parts of the orphanage. Using children as test subjects, or simply selling them to politicians who needed transplants. Abusing the kids was probably the most innocent thing on their long list. He even felt proud that Nino managed to save himself from that orphanage. 

His doorbell rang, cutting off his train of thoughts. He stood up from his where he was sitting to open the door. 

“Are you alright, Oh-chan?” Aiba asked as soon as he saw Ohno’s face. Ohno averted his gaze. “Is Nino alright?” 

“I don’t know…” 

“Did you fight?” 

“Not like that but… well… I said some things that Nino apparently didn’t like…” 

Aiba didn’t say anything as he wrapped his arms around Ohno to soothe him. “Don’t worry, I am sure Nino will forgive you.” 

“If I ever manage to see him again,” Ohno murmured. 

“You will,” Aiba tried to reassure Ohno, but he also had a feeling that finding Nino wouldn’t be easy. “Tell me about it.” And Ohno told him. Everything except some parts of Nino’s past that he thought he would hate if Ohno told Aiba. Aiba’s face saddened as he listened to him. 

“You should bring him back, Oh-chan,” Aiba said in the end. “You should bring him back no matter what.” 

Ohno nodded determinedly. “I will.” 

 

***

 

However, things were easier said than done. Ohno really had no idea how to bring Nino back. As far as he knew, Nino didn’t have a cell phone. And even if Nino had one he never mentioned it to them. He also didn’t know where he lived or anything else like that. He tried to visit that ramen stall where he first met Nino, but of course, it didn't work. 

He even thought to hire that detective again to find Nino but somehow he knew if he did then he would lose Nino completely. He was very lost when he stumbled and bumped into someone. “Oh, I am sorry-” he started but froze mid-sentence. He was face-to-face with the yakuza -the Oida family, he reminded himself- who had kidnapped him. 

“Oh, ain’t you the little rat?” The yakuza who kidnapped him smiled disgustingly, and before Ohno could make a move he grabbed his wrist. “So you are still loitering around here,” he said with narrowed eyes. “I heard your friend managed to escape from the police… Thanks to him, some of our men got caught!” He hovered over Ohno. “Let’s have you pay in his place,” was the last thing Ohno heard before a heavy object hit the back of his head and Ohno lost consciousness, once again.

 

***

 

Nino felt beyond horrible. He felt lost, sad and tired as he looked over the wall of the abandoned building which he called ‘home’. Well, it didn’t feel like ‘home’ after he lived together with Aiba for three weeks. He had run away… How pathetic! Nino wasn’t angry at Ohno. Not at all, he had all the right to investigate Nino’s background. What he hated here was merely his own past, which he wasn’t proud of. He knew he couldn’t hide it for a long time but he didn’t want Ohno to find out like that… He didn’t want Ohno to pity him. He wanted Ohno to see him as Nino. Not some kind of pitiful random guy. 

He rubbed his face in irritation. He was aware that his reaction was a bit dramatic. Well, probably more than a bit… But he really hated the fact that Ohno knew what kind of person he was. He remembered Ohno’s words when they were talking: _You are a clever man, and you are a thief, but you are not that bad. You also hate being a thief and you haven’t tried to do anything while you are staying with us. You care about Aiba. You are a bit lost, also hesitant but you have a soft heart and you are very considerate._

He didn’t think he was like that. He was clever, though it was more that he had to be clever. He was a thief, and being a thief was bad. Yet, he always tried his best to minimize the damage. Yes, he hated being a thief and yes, he hadn’t tried to do anything while he was staying with Aiba. Yes, he cared about Aiba. Yet, he disappeared without saying anything to him. Yes, he was lost. Because it was the first time that someone understood Nino like that. He was also hesitant because he wasn’t used to people being kind towards him. However, he still doubted the soft heart and considerate part. 

Nino groaned. He felt exposed, irritated, sad and happy. His emotions were a mess and he honestly wanted it to stop. He took a deep breath, deciding to voice out his own thoughts about Ohno. 

“You are weird,” he started. “You love involving yourself in things that are none of your business and that irritates me sometimes, well, most of the time. But I am also grateful to you for not minding your business…” he smiled. “You sleep a lot, no matter when or where. You draw beautifully yet you say it’s just a hobby for you. You have no sense for the furniture. Your house is so irritating and I swear I will never visit again if you don’t move somewhere with an elevator,” he chuckled. “You seem like you think too much but you aren’t thinking about anything most of the time. You are silent but you are good at observing. However, you are still an idiot when it comes to love relationships.” He stopped for a moment before he could voice the last thought in his mind. “Your lips were so soft and I think I would like to taste them again,” he completed his sentence with a crimson face. “And I can’t walk away before I see you once again,” he finished his thoughts, with a new resolution. _You should at least dump me properly,_ he thought as he stood up from where he was sitting. 

 

***

 

Nino knew there was something off. Before he turned the corner that led down the street to Paradise, Nino felt uneasy. There was something in the air, and even if there wasn’t any panic he was sure something was terribly wrong. He just hoped it wasn’t about anyone he knew while he hurried towards Paradise. 

When he saw Aiba, Sakurai, and Matsumoto together with Matsuoka, he literally wanted to punch himself. He ran towards them, ignoring the fact that Matsuoka could arrest him at that very moment. “Aiba!” he called out, trying to get their attention. He pushed two police officers aside and he rushed his way towards Aiba. “What’s going on!?” 

“Nino!!” Aiba left Sakurai’s arm and hugged him strongly as if trying to protect Nino from something. “Where have you been?!” Nino realized that he was trembling. 

Nino pushed him away to look at his face. “Forget about that!” he said sternly. “What happened?” 

“Ohno is missing,” Matsumoto answered on behalf of Aiba.

“He isn’t missing! He was kidnapped!” Aiba snapped. “Why are you so calm about this!? They can harm Oh-chan!” 

“We don’t know where they took him Aiba,” Matsuoka explained. Nino looked at him. His voice was calm but his expression couldn’t be described as anything but wrath. His lips were pressed together firmly and he was squeezing his fists. 

“Explain,” Nino demanded, not even caring about anything. 

“Some people witnessed a bunch of yakuza taking a small man somewhere forcefully. One of the chefs of the food stalls called the police and the description fits in Ohno,” Sakurai explained. He seemed a bit steadier than the others. 

Food stalls? Yakuza? _Shit._

“Nino?” Aiba brought him back to reality. 

“Don’t worry, Aiba-chan,” he smiled reassuringly. “He will be fine.” 

Aiba blinked in surprise a few times. “This is the first time you called me like that…” He murmured. 

Nino laughed a little.“Sorry about that.” And he turned to Matsuoka. “I know I am already indebted to you, but would you lend me your strength once again?” 

Matsuoka raised an eyebrow. “What can you do when we can’t even find them?” 

“Well… I know how to make my way in,” Nino stated calmly. 

“And why would I trust you? A thief?” Matsuoka asked seriously. 

“Because sometimes the bad guys are the only good guys we get,” Nino answered truthfully. 

 

***

 

Ohno opened his eyes with a groan. The back of his head was in pain and the situation was so familiar that he wanted to laugh. When he tried to move his limbs, he found that he was tied firmly to a chair, again! What kind of person got kidnapped by the same yakuza twice?! He sure didn’t have any luck. 

“Finally awake!” The same yakuza who had kidnapped him three weeks ago was standing in front of him with the same disgusting smile of his. The only difference on the man’s face was the dangerous light that sparkled in his eyes. “Did you really think that you could get away like that?” the man whispered close to his face. Ohno hated having him that close. “I have to admit that the little rat of yours is clever. Too bad for him that he couldn’t get me arrested!” 

The man backed away a little, finally giving Ohno a chance to see his surroundings. The place looked like a basement. There were no windows and the ceiling was so low that it made him feel claustrophobic. There were a lot of cardboard boxes everywhere. 

“That little friend of yours…” the yakuza started. “I am sure he will come to save you.” He licked his lips in a way which made Ohno sick to his stomach. “I will make both of you learn not to mess with the Oida family!” 

“He won’t come!” Ohno said strongly. “He is not my friend, I am saying again! You got the wrong person!”

The man let out a creepy laugh. “Sure,” he said between his laughter. “He is not your friend. I got it. Then let’s call him your bitch? How about that? I am sure he is wonderful in bed. He was really famous before he became a thief anyway. I don’t think he’s forgotten those skills!” 

“Shut up!” Ohno shouted angrily. “You don’t know anything about him!”

“But apparently, you know a lot of things about that little rat, don’t you?” The man leaned over, showing his teeth. “Let’s wait and see what that little bitch of yours will do.” 

“He is not a bitch! And I will never let you touch him, ever again!” Ohno yanked at his ropes once again, failing to untie them. 

“You are funny,” the man said, taking a syringe out from his pocket and uncovering the needle swiftly. “Let’s have some fun while we’re at it,” he said as he leaned closer to immerse the needle into his arm roughly, injecting the tube immediately. Ohno hissed with pain. “We were having a hard time finding guinea pigs for our new drugs, you know… Be honored to taste it before anyone else.” Those were the last words of yakuza as he took the syringe out of his skin. 

The drug was strong. And soon Ohno lost consciousness once again. The last thought that crossed his mind was Nino’s adorable smile from a night ago. 

 

***

 

When Nino first found the house, some people were going in with a black briefcase just like in those movies. Nino knew very well that the briefcase contained nothing but money. It was either he was too blinded by the money or the Oida family was really good at hiding but Nino had no idea it was a yakuza office when he first went into that two floored private building. However, this time, Nino knew what kind of place he was going into so he was extra careful. Nino slid into the office quietly, knowing that if they caught him there, they would definitely kill him. He made his way towards the room where the main office and safe were located. The lights were still on and he knew there were people inside the room. So he moved as silently as he could towards the room, placing his ear to the door for a moment. 

_If this were a drama, they would start talking about where they took Ohno right now,_ he thought, but this wasn't a drama and they were of course not talking. Nino waited, hidden in the shadows, getting impatient with every passing minute. He had no idea where they took Ohno and that irritated Nino. So after ten minutes of waiting, he decided to use a different method. He chose to trust Matsuoka. He placed the listening device between the door and its frame, hoping that they won’t realize it until he found Ohno, and left. 

He had no idea where they took Ohno but Nino had to start somewhere so this building would be the first place. He had to bet on his luck which was later not that bright. The main office of Oida family was slightly out of the town and it was far from people’s eyes. 

He searched the second floor which contained the main office of the Oida family, finding nothing. There were several other rooms which didn’t seem important but Nino still searched them too. Then he moved to the first floor where a living room and a kitchen were located. He searched every corner until he heard a voice. He quickly hid behind a couch, secured with a wall and lots of shadows. 

A door by the kitchen opened and a man came out, grumbling. Nino leaned over to see who had come. The dim light revealed a man who was tall and very brawny and Nino recognized the features of his face and the tattoos that showed through his unbuttoned shirt immediately. It was him! It was the same yakuza who kidnapped Ohno and beat Nino up three weeks ago. Nino narrowed his eyes. Matsuoka told him that they managed to arrest three of the yakuzas on that night so he knew only two managed to escape. He confirmed them by the photographs that Matsuoka showed him and he was sure that this one was not included in those photos. Nino clenched his teeth as he looked at the man. Probably, he was the leader of that group. The man climbed the stairs slowly and lazily, and as soon as he disappeared from Nino’s sight, Nino stood up and made his way to the door that the man came out of. 

He slid through the door silently only to face very narrow stairs in front of him. It must lead to the basement, he thought; hope suddenly rising in his heart. Why would that man come out of the basement if he didn’t have anything -or anyone, he wanted to hope- hiding in there? He carefully walked down the stairs, step by step, making sure that he wasn’t making any noise. He also didn’t forget to listen for noise up the stairs in case the man decided to come to the basement again. 

The basement was dark, so he had to take out his small but very useful flashlight. The place was small. The ceiling was low and the place contained lots of cardboard boxes and Nino honestly didn’t want to know what they contained. Cautiously, he made his way around the boxes and soon his flashlight landed on someone. Someone who was tied to a chair firmly. Nino didn’t even need to look at his face to know that he was Ohno. Thanking the heavens for this miracle he rushed to Ohno’s side, kneeling down in front of him. 

“Ohno! Ohno! Oh-chan! Gosh, wake up!!” Nino shook him strongly, trying to control the volume of his voice at the same time. Suddenly he remembered to call Matsuoka and his men. He quickly took out the cell phone that Matsuoka gave him. He cursed under his breath when he saw the notice of no signal. “I said wake up! Oh-chan!! Please, we don’t have time for this, please! Please!” He continued to shake him until Ohno creaked an eye open slowly and with great effort. His eyes were fogged over and they couldn’t focus on Nino for a while. 

“Nino..?” Ohno’s voice was hoarse and it dawned on Nino finally. _Drugs,_ he thought. He felt his heart sink. 

“Oh-chan! Oh-chan, look at me!” Nino whispered as he took Ohno’s face in his hands, making him look only at him. “I am here, concentrate on me, okay? I will definitely save you!” With that, he took out his pocketknife to cut the ropes around his body. Ohno’s body fell forward and Nino caught him firmly. 

“Nino,” Ohno mumbled again. “Thanks…” 

“Shh… We can talk when we got out,” Nino replied as he placed Ohno’s arm around his neck and secured him close to his body by holding his waist firmly. He helped Ohno climb the stairs as silent as possible. He managed to get out of the basement, but before he could reach the main gate, suddenly the lights went on. Cursing his luck, Nino turned around, just to find the yakuza in front of him. 

“Our little brave rat returned,” the same man from before said, a disgusting smile on his face. 

“You sure have some rotten hobbies,” Nino shot back. “Kidnapping the same man again? What a lame thing to do.” he clicked his tongue and he casually put his hand into his pocket. 

However, this time, the man, took out a gun and pointed it towards Nino. “Your hand, out, now!” he ordered. “I won’t buy the same trick again!”

Nino gulped as he took out his hand from his pocket. “You sure are no fun,” Nino said. “At least let this poor guy go. Your business is with me.”

The man laughed. “Do you really think I would do that?” 

Nino sighed. “I don’t, but no harm in trying,” he shrugged. 

“Move away from the door, now!” Silently, Nino moved out of the doorway while trying to keep Ohno out of the gun’s range. He had already caused enough harm to Ohno, so he refused to add a gunshot to the list. 

“Nino…” Ohno whispered in his ears. Somehow, his voice sounded more stable than before. 

“Shh,” Nino managed to whisper back. He squeezed his waist, hoping that it was reassuring enough. 

“Stop whispering to each other!” the man snapped. 

“Geez! Calm your tits man! I am not going anywhere as you can see!” Nino said while rolling his eyes. He wasn’t trying to piss off the man but he could at least buy some time with it. “And come on! Killing me won’t make you gain anything.” 

The man laughed. “So you are trying to negotiate now?” 

“I am just being rational here,” Nino shrugged. “I break into your precious office twice, and you haven’t noticed it until it’s too late. I think you could make good use of this very talented thief you know.” The man stopped as if considering for a moment so Nino pushed more. “You can’t make good use of a dead thief.” _Please, please! Matsuoka! Please hurry!!_ He prayed to the heavens, though it wasn’t like he could do anything but praying in this position. 

“But I feel like you would demand something,” the yakuza told him with narrowed eyes. 

Nino shrugged. “Nothing much,” he started and then pointed Ohno. “Just let him go, and I will be yours.”

“Nino-! Don’t do that-!” Ohno tried to protest weakly but Nino shut him up with a glance. 

The yakuza let out another laugh which irritated Nino. “You really care for that guy, huh?” he said. “I am sorry about that kiddo, but I can’t hire you,” the man smirked. “And I also can’t let you leave this place alive,” he finished, and Nino watched him pulling the trigger in slow motion. With incredible speed that even surprised himself, he pulled Ohno to himself, pressing him to his chest and covering him with his own body. 

A lot of things happened at the same time. Nino heard a loud bang from the door and two gunshots almost at the same time, and he felt a burning sensation on his right side. He hugged Ohno stronger than before and closed his eyes, waiting for the fatal strike but nothing happened. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and as his senses returned to him, he realized that they weren’t alone in the living room anymore. Matsuoka was standing there together with a bunch of police officers. The yakuza who shot Nino was lying on the floor, his gun a few meters away from him, struggling against the powerful grip of the police officers. 

Nino felt the adrenaline that was rushing through his body slowly disappear as he realized that they had been saved, and he loosened his grip on Ohno. Ignoring the pain in his side and the blood soaking his black t-shirt and jeans, Nino looked at Ohno, who was looking back at him with worry. Nino rubbed his cheek with his left hand. “You are not hurt?” he asked and Ohno shook his head weakly. Knowing that, Nino felt relieved from the bottom of his heart and let himself lean on him heavily, making both of them sink down to the floor. 

“Nino?” he heard Ohno’s worried voice. 

He looked up and chuckled slightly. “I am glad you are not hurt,” he said, trying his best to not to make him panic. 

Ohno’s eyes widened as he felt a wet sensation on his hand. “Call an ambulance!” Suddenly Ohno heard Matsuoka’s voice, as he shouted for the police officers who were taking care of the yakuzas. 

Nino’s sight blurred. “Oh-chan,” he whispered. “Don’t look like that,” he said with a weak smile and turned his head towards Matsuoka. “Keep him safe,” he said finally before his consciousness slipped away. 

 

***

 

Nino groaned as his senses returned to him. A slight beeping sound could be heard in the background and he could feel that he was lying in a soft bed that wasn’t Aiba’s. He forced his eyes open. His throat was so dry that he craved some water more than anything. He tried to move a little but stopped at the tingling pain on his right side. 

“Nino?” he heard a very familiar voice. It was Aiba. “Oh my god! You are awake,” Aiba said as he stood up from his chair and entered Nino’s line of sight. He looks tired, Nino thought. “Thank God, you are alright! You both scared me to death!” he said pushing his glasses up a bit to wipe his tears. 

“...ohno…” Nino managed to whisper. 

“What?” Aiba leaned a bit closer. 

“Ohno,” Nino repeated, this time his voice clearer. 

“Oh!” Aiba smiled a little at Nino. “Don’t worry, he is alright. Well, the yakuza apparently drugged him but he is alright now. Doctors looked after him, and you should be worried about yourself! They had to do a transfusion for you!” 

Nino sighed with relief as soon as he heard that Ohno was fine. He was sure that he could deal with the pain in his side, as long as Ohno was safe. “Water?” Nino asked suddenly remembering his need for water. Aiba moved to the bedside table and poured a glass of water, granting his wish. He helped Nino to drink a few sips and let him lie down again just before they heard a knock on Nino’s door. 

The door opened, revealing Matsuoka. Nino stiffened, making Matsuoka laugh a little. “Don’t be that scared, kiddo,” he said calmly as he approached his bed. He came closer to the bed and bowed, surprising Nino. “Thank you for saving Ohno,” he said earnestly. 

“It was my fault-” he started but Matsuoka cut him off. 

“People like you are admirable. Trying to save a stranger is really admirable, young man,” he started, confusing Nino. “No one would try to save a stranger when they simply saw him being dragged by yakuza on the street. So take the credit and shut up.” 

“Um… I really don’t get what you mean,” Nino said. 

Matsuoka took out a paper from the inner pocket of his jacket and put it in front of him with a paper. “Please sign your testimony,” he said calmly. 

Nino took the paper and read it out loud. “I (Ninomiya Kazunari) saw a man (Ohno Satoshi) who being dragged by a yakuza and followed them. When the yakuza dragged the man (Ohno Satoshi) into a house I called the police. Their arrival took a while so I decided to go in and search the house. I found Ohno Satoshi in the basement but when I tried to save him, we got caught by the man who dragged Ohno Satoshi into that house…” Nino looked up to Matsuoka. “What?! This is ridiculous!” 

Matsuoka gave him an irritated glance. “Shut up and sign it already, brat. This is my thanks to you for saving Ohno. He is like a little brother to me,” he said. “But if I hear that you are stealing again, I will throw you in jail with my own two hands.” 

Aiba chuckled. “Matsu-nii is really soft-hearted!” 

Matsuoka shot him a glance and Aiba immediately shut up, this time making Nino laugh. “Then I will gladly accept it, Matsu-nii,” Nino said, signing the papers and returning them to Matsuoka. 

“Who told you that you could call me that?” Matsuoka said, slightly annoyed. 

“But everyone calls you that!” Aiba protested. 

Matsuoka sighed in irritation. “Fine, do whatever you want,” he said, finally leaving the room while Aiba and Nino were still laughing. 

 

***

 

The next time Nino woke up, he found none other than Ohno beside him. 

“Hi,” Ohno said sheepishly as he saw Nino’s eyes open. 

“Hi,” Nino said in return, feeling very relieved at finally seeing him. 

“How are you?” Ohno asked. 

“I am fine,” Nino started and added. “I guess.” 

“I am glad you are fine,” Ohno said truthfully. 

“And you?” Nino asked seriously. He was slightly afraid of Ohno’s answer. 

However, Ohno chuckled softly. “I am fine, thanks to you.”

“I am glad you are fine,” Nino said, not averting his eyes from Ohno’s. A moment of silence fell between them. Nino was too hesitant to do anything even though he wanted nothing but to reach out and hold his hand. Well, he also wanted to do many more things but both his hurting side and his shyness forbade him from doing anything. However, he knew that he couldn’t let things go like that. 

Nino had no experience with the kind of love which made his heart beat faster, yet, apparently, he was in love with Ohno. He wanted to know him, he wanted to spend more time with him. He started to admire him and he felt safe when he was together with him. It was a different kind of safety from the one he felt when he was together with Aiba. He wanted to stay with them but he eventually knew that he had to leave when his arm is healed. He was at least prepared for it. Leaving Aiba hurt, but leaving Ohno was impossible. He realized it the moment when he heard that Ohno had gone missing. 

Nino cleared his throat. He had to say it. He had to. He was still too scared to voice it but he decided that he wasn’t strong enough to keep it inside. After all, he was too close to losing him once. “You know,” he started, slightly hesitant but still he managed to put a playful mask on his face. “It was the best haul of my life,” Nino told him like he was letting him in on a secret. 

“Which haul?” Ohno asked curiously, tilting his head a little with a small smile on his face.

“My last theft,” Nino answered seriously. 

Ohno let out a soft laugh. Nino decided that he liked the sound of Ohno’s laugh very much. “You sure? You were beaten up pretty badly in the end,” Ohno reminded him while he still continued to smile. He was too adorable with those wrinkles next to his eyes. 

Nino couldn’t help but chuckle. “No, that was for the one before the last.” 

“And what was the last?”

“The kiss that I stole from you,” Nino smirked. 

“Oh…” Ohno said, blushing uncontrollably. The sight in front of him was irresistible for Nino. _God… Don’t make me forget what I wanted to say,_ Nino pleaded to heavens. 

He cleared his throat once again before continuing. “Good thing that I don’t steal things that I don’t need.” He was trying to sound nonchalant but instead he was sure that he sounded desperate. 

“You needed that kiss after all,” Ohno reasoned, nodding as if he was approving some kind of proposal. “You were trying to hide.” 

Nino tried his best to not to spoil it. “Well, that’s true. But I really enjoyed that kiss.” Ohno looked at him as if he was trying to decipher a code as Nino continued. “And I am glad I didn’t steal anything that I didn’t need until now.”

Ohno stared at him blankly. But Nino was determined to continue. He was trying his best to ignore the possibility of rejection but he knew that he would be doomed if Ohno really rejected him. 

“And well, I plan to steal more, you know,” Nino continued giving his best to it. A silence fell between them as Nino let Ohno understand what he actually wanted to say. A simple, _I like you, please be my boyfriend_ would be perfect but he was already at his limit. He was simply too shy to say those words to Ohno. He was sure that Ohno could see the pink ears of his. 

“Why? You don't need to hide anymore,” Ohno said finally, breaking the silence. He was confused and Nino could clearly see that. 

Nino gulped, forcing himself to talk. “Of course, it’s not for hiding this time,” he said finally, cursing himself for taking a really roundabout way for a confession. Sudden thoughts and realizations hit him at that very moment. Questions like _what if he is not into men? What if he is not into me? What if he refuses to be with a thief like me? What if?! What if?!_ He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to shut the questions out. He gathered his courage once again and turned his head to look at Ohno, only to be welcomed by two soft eyes.

Ohno was smiling. He was smiling to him challengingly, and almost mischievously. “Then what for?” he asked, leaning closer to him and giving Nino the last push that he needed. 

“Let’s say that you are simply addictive,” Nino smirked and leaned forward.

“That means you need my kiss?” Ohno asked him. Their lips were inches away and Nino could feel Ohno’s soft breath on his lips. 

“You have no idea how much I need it,” was the last words of Nino before he sealed the kiss passionately.

Ninomiya Kazunari was a thief with policy. He wouldn’t steal from old people, he wouldn’t rob anywhere on weekends, and of course, he wouldn’t steal anything he didn’t need. The first kiss he stole from Ohno Satoshi without knowing how much he actually needed it had saved his life more than once. He wanted to give thanks to his stupidity for trying to rob a yakuza office, to the heavens for making the silent guy sit at that ramen stall and to destiny for bringing them together. That stolen first kiss now, allowed Nino to steal more from Ohno. And he indeed planned to do just that. God have mercy on him.


	4. Chapter 4

_**~Epilogue~** _

**~A year later~**

Nino groaned when he heard the annoying sound of Ohno’s alarm. He circled his arms around Ohno’s waist and tightened his grip, burying his face in his chest. He felt the tickling sensation of Ohno’s chuckle as he ruffled Nino’s hair lovingly. 

“It’s time to get up,” Ohno mumbled softly. Nino grumbled something that Ohno couldn’t hear well and throw his legs over Ohno’s to trap him with his body. “As much as I love your loving gestures, I have to go to work,” Ohno explained while he also circled his arms around Nino, pulling him closer. 

“Aren’t you the CEO or whatever?” Nino grumbled, not lifting his head from Ohno’s chest. “Skip work for some time.”

“But then you will be the one who has to face MatsuJun’s wrath,” Ohno said softly. 

Nino groaned loudly once again. “I hate J,” he managed to say. 

That made Ohno laugh. “I know you don’t,” he reminded his boyfriend. “You two are basically partners in crime.” 

“He is fun when he’s not working,” Nino admitted as he slowly unraveled his arms to let Ohno go. “Will you come visit tonight?” he asked before completely letting Ohno get up. 

Ohno pecked his lips. “Of course,” he reassured his boyfriend. “I would never miss your performance.” 

Nino smiled and leaned in for another kiss. Ohno granted his wish immediately. Soon, their innocent kisses turned into something more passionate and Ohno had to break the kiss. “You are evil,” he said between his pants. “Stop distracting me or I will have to call in sick.”

“Then do that,” Nino dared him. “As far as I see, you have a bit of fever,” he smirked. 

Ohno groaned. “And now, I really don’t want to go!” He pulled Nino closer into another quick and passionate kiss and let him go within seconds. “But I really have to go,” he said as he untangled himself from Nino swiftly and got up. 

Nino smiled. “Sorry about that,” he said while sinking into the fluffy bed and pulling the covers over him, preparing to go back to sleep. “See you tonight,” he mumbled with a smile.

Ohno chuckled. “I love you,” he said finally. He leaned down to steal one last kiss from Nino and hurried for work. 

Nino stretched his body lazily with a smile on his face when Ohno left the house. A year had passed from that evening in the hospital and they had been living together for six months already, which Nino was more than glad for it. 

After he was discharged from the hospital his life changed drastically, but he didn’t feel unpleasant about it. When he was finally free from everything, Sho immediately had a serious talk with Nino about his future. Apparently, Sho had good connections with the music industry through his family and after that karaoke night, he had thought very highly of Nino’s talent for music. He had offered him his help for a job and a scholarship for a proper music education. With that, Nino got a job as a singer in a bar for some nights from 21.00 pm to 01.00 am and he started going to a private college with the scholarship Sho had offered to him. 

The day Nino had started college, Ohno asked him to live together. He even told him that he would move somewhere else, preferably with an elevator. Well, even if he didn’t move somewhere else, Nino would agree anyway, but that made Nino undeniably happy. Matsumoto helped them in their search for an apartment and thanks to him, they found a place, slightly bigger than Ohno’s first apartment. The new place was a two floored apartment with a big living room and a kitchen on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor. It was located in a central area, close to public transport. They decided to keep Ohno’s big television and his purple sofa, though Nino objected to having that hammock-like chair in the living room so they put it out on their enclosed balcony. They bought a fluffy carpet and a couple of comfortable floor cushions for Nino since he developed an interest in video games and he mostly spent his money and time on them lately. 

Their house was really comfortable and warm and Nino really loved it. It was different from the orphanage -thankfully!- and it was different from the abandoned building that Nino lived in for a long time. It was also different from Aiba’s house and this house made him more than happy. It was as if he finally had found somewhere he belonged and he was determined to keep it until the end of the time. 

For now, he was happy. More than anything. 

 

***

 

Nino finished his performance to great applause and got down from the stage with a big smile on his face. Two girls approached him with a bouquet of yellow roses and handed it to him with crimson faces. Nino smiled and thanked them as he walked past them. 

“You sure are popular,” Ohno told him with a pout on his face when he finally met him at the bar. He was sitting at his usual spot which was located in a comparatively dark corner of the counter.

Nino let out a laugh. “Is that jealousy that I am seeing?” He teased Ohno and poked his chubby cheek with his index finger. Ohno quickly grabbed his hand and planted a kiss on his finger, making Nino blush like a tomato. 

“What were you saying, my dear?” Ohno asked with a smirk. 

“Hey! Stop destroying the dreams of my customers, guys!” yelled Ikuta Toma, the bartender and the owner of Orion, the bar where Nino had been working. “Currently Nino is my main selling point after all!” 

“They should know that they don’t stand a chance with my boyfriend,” Ohno said firmly. 

Toma let out a merry laugh. “Oh my God, Nino, you have one possessive boyfriend here!” 

“Good thing that I really like him, right?” Nino said as he threw a wink to Toma who let out another merry laugh. 

“I will leave the lovebirds alone,” Toma said finally, leaving Ohno and Nino alone. 

As soon as Toma left them in the dark corner of the counter, Nino scooted closer to Ohno, linking their fingers together. “I missed you,” Nino whispered with a smile on his face. 

Ohno smiled too, leaning over to peck Nino’s lips swiftly. “I missed you too,” he murmured softly. “I have the weekend off,” he said casually. 

Nino’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Really?!”

Ohno nodded, placing his free hand on Nino’s nape, stroking his soft cheek up and down with his thumb. “Let’s go home,” he suggested with a mischievous smile on his face. 

Nino let out a merry laugh. “You naughty old man,” Nino said and leaned in for another kiss. “Be glad that I really love you.” 

“Always, my love,” Ohno said before standing up from his chair and dragging Nino forward, leaving a bottle of untouched beer behind him. 

 

***

**~4 years later~**

The bells of the church rang as Aiba and Sho kissed in front of the priest. Together with the other guests, Nino cheered for them while applauding crazily. He met eyes with Ohno, who was Aiba’s best man while he became Sho’s best man. He wiped tears of happiness from his eyes and smiled at him softly. 

It had been a really long journey for Aiba and Sho. They had a quite hard time convincing their parents and they had to perform the wedding abroad, which this time happened to be in the USA. Still, they wouldn’t be acknowledged in Japan, but they wanted to make it happen no matter what. 

Both Sho and Aiba were very domestic, wanting a family of their own, and Nino respected their wish. He was happy for them from the bottom of his heart. Sho and Aiba seemed very handsome in their suits and they were just too adorable while looking into each other’s eyes like that! 

Soon, the ceremony was over and everyone moved to the place where the party would be held. The place of the party was a really lovely garden. The wedding was in April so it was neither too hot nor too cold for being outside. It was a perfect time since the flowers bloomed beautifully and the garden was lovely. Nino and Ohno did their best to find a good place for the lovely couple and with the help of some other people, they managed to reserve the place. Nino took care of the music while Ohno basically took care of the design of everything in general. 

The party was going smoothly, which made both Ohno and Nino let out a relieved breath. One last thing and Nino’s mission would be over for the young couple. “I think it’s time?” he asked Ohno with a nervous smile. 

Ohno grinned and wrapped his arms around Nino’s waist to pull him into a quick kiss. “I know you will be perfect,” he whispered to Nino’s ear. “Don’t think, just sing.”

Nino chuckled. “You said the same thing that the night at karaoke.” 

“I did?” Ohno looked at him confused. 

Nino nodded and kissed his cheek. “Now, go and stop the party,” he said to Ohno as he slid out of his arms to go get his guitar. 

Ohno looked after him with a soft smile on his face. He loved his boyfriend very much and that love had never decreased over the past five years. He took a deep breath and went to the small stage. He smiled apologetically for stopping the music and he turned his eyes towards the newlywed couple who were looking at him with confusion. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry for interrupting the party,” Ohno started, gathering attention to himself. “However, I would like to say something, no matter what,” he started. “Loving someone is hard.” He chuckled. “I don’t have any intention to state otherwise since we all know loving someone is hard no matter whom that person is for you. Be it a friend or a member of your family. And since we are all adults here, I am sure everyone at least has had one or two heartbreaks in their past. It’s hard, it’s troublesome, and sometimes it doesn’t go how you want it to,” Ohno continued his speech while moving his head up and down seriously. “However, if you find the right person, you know you can bear anything and everything. Well, I am only speaking based on my own experience but even if you find the right one you may still have a lot of problems to face. Especially if your boyfriend is a game addict like mine,” Ohno said, gathering some laughter from the guests and the couple while he heard Nino’s petulant voice from the back. Ohno laughed a little before continuing. “But well, you will still be smiling even after every trouble. Our lovely couple here,” he gestured to Aiba and Sakurai with a soft smile, “has gone through a lot. A bit different from my own problems, since none of them is a game addict,” he said only to be interrupted by Nino again. 

“I don’t want to hear that from a fishing addict!” Nino protested petulantly, earning loud laughter from the guests. 

Ohno laughed and continued to his speech. “I was there when Sho finally asked Aiba out in his bookshop. And I was also there when Aiba came back from his first date with his Prince Charming, head over heels. I was there when Sho proposed to Aiba and he accepted. I was there when they had to face a lot of troubles. And I can assure everyone in this venue that not even once did the love in their eyes change. They are still looking at each other with the same shine as the first day, and even after all those troubles, I am sure that Sho and Aiba will make this marriage work.” He looked at Aiba and Sho once again. Aiba had tears in his eyes, while Sho wrapped his arms around his waist, nuzzling into Aiba’s cheek lovingly. “Aiba-chan, I have known you for a decade already and I am glad that you found Sho. Sho-chan, I only got to know you thanks to Aiba but I am glad to know you. Please be happy, you both deserve it,” he finished his speech. “And now, I will let the other best man take over.” 

Ohno left the stage with a cute smile on his face, quickly kissing Nino before he could say anything. “You are just lucky because I love you,” Nino said before he got to the stage with his guitar. 

He cleared his throat before saying anything. He was used to being on a stage but this event was different than others so he was really nervous. “Well… Since my fishing addicted boyfriend has said everything, I can only say one thing: Aiba-chan, Sho-chan, congratulations on your wedding,” he said sincerely. “Please be happy. I wish the best for you from the bottom of my heart. I owe you a lot of things. You became my family when I had no one else in my life and you guys gave me a chance when others refused. And I was also there together with Oh-chan, so I had the best seat to witness your love story,” he said, winking. “Well, Oh-chan said a lot of things and I am not good at making speeches so I thought singing something for you two would be better,” he said nonchalantly and pressed down some chords on his guitar, making a random melody before moving into the song which he chose for Aiba and Sho. Nino had practiced for the song countless times as his fingers moved over the strings and he started to sing Stand By Me by Ben E. King. 

Aiba was clearly crying without bothering to hide his tears and Sho also had tears in his eyes. Nino smiled and his eyes met Ohno’s. He knew how much they struggled with this wedding. Just as he said, he had the best seat to witness everything. He had witnessed how Aiba and Sho stood beside each other and Nino knew this was the best song for their wedding.

Nino continued to sing as Sho hugged Aiba strongly to stop his tears. He kissed Aiba reassuringly, holding him closer. Ohno moved closer to them and rubbed Aiba’s back soothingly. Nino didn’t like to see his tears but he knew that these were tears of happiness so he continued. 

Guests joined him in the last chorus and Nino was very grateful for them. He knew that Aiba and Sho still had worries about their parents since they were really opposed to their wedding. However, now, even Sho’s stubborn looking father had slight tears in his eyes as he sung Stand By Me together with his wife and Aiba’s parents. _True love_ , Nino thought. _True love can overcome anything._

 

***

 

After the party, Ohno and Nino returned to their hotel room exhausted but extremely happy. 

“I am so happy for Aiba and Sho,” Nino said as he threw himself on the bed, not even bothering to undress, hugging a pillow. “It’s like a miracle,” Nino chuckled. “Do you remember Aiba’s face when Sho asked him out for the first time?”

Ohno laughed softly as he took off his necktie. “I do, he was so shocked!” 

“And Sho thought you were a danger to him,” Nino cackled. 

“I remember! He thought I was going to Paradise for Aiba,” Ohno continued to laugh as he hung his jacket on a chair. 

“That reminds me…” Nino straightened up to look at Ohno. “Why were you coming that regularly to Paradise? Just for sleep?” 

Ohno rolled his eyes. “You can’t be that ignorant,” he said. 

“What?” Nino looked confused. 

Ohno sighed and leaned down to take something from the inner pocket of his jacket. He quickly came to the bed sitting next to Nino and looking at his eyes directly. “Well, I was planning to make this a little bit more romantic but I can’t hold it in anymore,” he said seriously. 

Nino blinked. “What?” 

Ohno opened a velvet box and showed him. Nino’s chin dropped in surprise. There was a pair of a silver rings with very a minimalistic design in the box. Confused, Nino looked up at Ohno, who was looking at him with a serious expression. “Nino, the day you stole my kiss in that ramen stall, I knew you would be turning my life upside down. I am in love with you. I was in love with you even before realizing that I was…” he started. “You are my light and my breath and I know you are not really interested in marriage but… Will you marry me?” he asked looking straightly at Nino’s eyes. 

_Did Ohno really mean it?_ Nino couldn’t register what was happening as he looked at the rings once again. He must, he thought. The rings surely did make it seem real. Nino looked back to Ohno’s eyes. His eyes were clear, truthful, and Nino knew Ohno wouldn’t betray Nino even if every single person on the earth would reject him. Before he realized, tears started to stream down from Nino’s eyes. 

Panicking, Ohno tried to wipe his tears. “Nino? I am sorry, was it too-” he was cut by Nino’s lips before he could finish his sentence. 

“I do,” Nino said when they parted their lips with the best smile Ohno had ever seen on his face. 

Ohno’s eyes sparkled with joy and he hugged him tightly. Nino laughed and tried to protest, saying it was hard to breathe but Ohno didn’t let him go. He didn’t have to. Nino was in the place that he always wanted to be and he had no intention of letting Ohno’s warmth go. 

He was happy. Yes, he was really happy, thanks to the kiss that he stole from Ohno. 

 

**_FIN_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentioned song:   
> o Ben E. King – Stand by me  
> This is also covered by Nino on Baystorm.


End file.
